


Darkness only lasts until the sunrises again.

by Quacks



Series: We all fall down [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Peter Parker, BTW, Dead May Parker - Freeform, Depressing Themes, Gunshot Wounds, Hospital Gowns Are The Worst, Hurt Peter Parker, I Own All My Mistakes, I Use Google Translate, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Im not a doctor, Injured Peter Parker, Just Needed To Clarify, Karen is a Good Bro, Medical Inaccuracies, Mental Illness, Mild Language, Or A Psychiatrist, Panicked Tony Stark, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Stereotypes, Pregnant Pepper Potts, Protective Karen, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, Russian, Spider-Man - Freeform, Stabbing, Therapy, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Trauma, Whump, attempted humor, feeding tube, i don't speak russian, please excuse any errors, sorry - Freeform, this is not in first person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22890187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quacks/pseuds/Quacks
Summary: “Dear Past,We’ve been through a lot together. Some good times, lots of bad times, and an unhealthy number of traumatic times.While you have been a part of defining who I am, I think for the sake of you and me, it would be best if we now went our separate ways. There is so much more out there for us to experience.A new life.I will never forget you, but it’s time for me to move on. It’s time to look forward to the future. Instead of dwindling on all the things that have happened, I need to live for the positive things that could happen.Thank you for the memories, but I’m breaking up with you.Sincerely,Peter Benjamin Parker.PS. It was totally you, not me.*Read 1st part of series for this to make more sense.***Now Complete!*
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: We all fall down [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645342
Comments: 71
Kudos: 322
Collections: The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics, The Best of the Best MCU Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all....I just couldn't stop myself. :)))
> 
> Here's the thing though, I can't promise that this will be out as fast as the previous series - which only took like, 6 days. (Maybe more). Anyway, I start school next Monday so I have some free time from now until then, but I do have other things I have to get done in preparation. The best I can guarantee is that I will post once a week, probably on Saturdays. 
> 
> Thank you everyone who read the last series. If you didn't I suggest you do because this story is a continuation of it. 
> 
> Anyway, this first chapter is kind of short...ish. Enjoy! 
> 
> If you like it, please leave a kudos or comment to let me know! 
> 
> Also, any feedback, ideas, writing errors, ect. is always welcomed!

A baby. 

A tiny, fragile, needy human. 

He should be excited. It shouldn’t take so much effort to put on a happy face. Tony and Pepper have been smiling so much, he’s pretty sure they’re glued on with super glue. Then they tell everyone else and a smile naturally slides onto their faces as well - granted they had all been smiling anyway because of the wedding. Getting a little sibling should be exciting.

But to Peter Parker, 

It’s not. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Three months have come and gone since Tony and Pepper announced they’re going to have a baby. At that time, Pepper was 12 weeks into her pregnancy - which puts her around six months pregnant. Three more months and the baby will be here. 

If Peter thought the first month of living with the Stark's was weird, he didn’t want to know what the last three would be classified as. Freaky? Mysterious? Kooky? Unnatural? Haunting?

Haunting. 

That’s a good word to describe it. You’d think someone who has a background full of unresolved trauma could handle a pregnant woman and her overprotective husband, but you’d be wrong. For Peter, he really doesn’t know who is more terrifying. 

His mom - who officially became an adoptive parent alongside Tony after they got married - has checked off every stereotypical pregnant woman box. Mood swings? Check. Morning sickness? Check. Baby brain? Definite check. 

Those are all issues of their own, but by far the most unholy, Satan sanctioned, fuck loaded bullshit are the cravings. No one, I repeat, NO ONE should ever, ever, EVER, even think about eating string cheese dipped in vinegar. 

Yet, that has become one of Pepper’s favorite snacks/meals/dessert. Just that..nothing else. She just lets the string cheese soak in vinegar until she deems it worthy of eating. And she can get away with it because she's pregnant.

Peter made the mistake one time of going to get a midnight snack after he woke up from a nightmare. It’s a mistake he’ll never make again. Pepper was having a triple whammy of a night. So when Peter walked into the kitchen he found his mom laying on top of the counter, crying hysterically while indulging on some mustard drizzled ice cream. That alone was terrifying, but then she spotted him. 

“Tony? Why can’t I control my bladder anymore?” Okay, so maybe she didn’t realize that it was her son she was talking to and not her husband. “Every time I move I pee myself a little. I swear I smell like pee all the time and I don’t like smelling like pee.” 

What the fuck is someone supposed to say to that? Peter sure as hell didn’t know. Except, not answering was the wrong move too. There was no winning. Her already teary eyes, filled even more as she let out a hysterical sob. “You better not be laughing at me Tony Anthony Stark or I swear on our baby’s life I will rip your balls off so you can never put me through this torture ever again.” 

“I would never dream of laughing at you, sweetheart.” Peter whipped around to see a mortified looking Tony standing behind him. He threw his thumb over his shoulder signalling to Peter that he should leave now. Peter did not need to be told twice. His appetite was gone. Just as he was about to close his door he heard his dad again. “If it would make you feel better, every time you pee yourself I could pee myself too. That way you don’t feel like you’re the only one who smells like piss.” 

Like he said, Tony went about being a pregnant wife’s husband in some of the most horrific ways known to the universe. 

While the things his parents are doing are...interesting, to say the least, that isn’t the main problem Peter is facing. The issue is that Peter is scared. He’s scared his parents will forget about him. He’s scared they are going to realize that having a baby of their own is better than having an emotionally damaged teenager. He’s scared he won’t be a good enough big brother which will make his parents hate him. 

If Tony and Pepper knew how much Peter wishes they weren’t having a baby, they wouldn’t want him around anymore. That’s why they will never find out. From the first fake smile Peter had to plaster on his face, he’s sworn to himself to keep it his secret. 

Okay, so he’s talked to Dr. Nemins - his therapist - about it. She is always saying that honesty, patience, and openness are key factors towards healing. So it’s not like Peter could keep something so emotionally draining from her. Dr. Nemins is not a bad guy. She can help. But other than her, Peter hasn’t told anyone about how he’s truly feeling towards the baby. 

Apparently when someone is having a baby, there are a lot of doctor appointments. At least, it feels like there are a lot. There are also pregnancy classes, birthing classes, and newborn baby classes. All of which highly encourage the husbands to attend. So that leaves Peter home alone for 2-3 hours after school before his parents get back from whatever class or appointment or whatnot that they had. He tries not to worry every time it takes them longer to get home than usual or think of all the horrible worst case scenarios that play through his head when he’s not with his parents. 

Peter has realized though, that if he stays late after school or goes to Ned’s house, he isn’t home alone as long. So that’s what he’s been doing. He’s picked back up a few of the extracurricular activities he’d been doing before he stopped going. Robotics, Chem club, Engineering club, and - his all time favorite - Academic Decathlon. Four days out of the week, Peter stays at the school until 5pm. On Friday’s he goes to Ned’s house, where they play with LEGOs and watch movies (ahem, Star Wars) until Happy picks him up at 6pm. So all in all, Peter is keeping himself busy. 

The only problem with so many extra activities is that he doesn’t have as much time for homework. Not that his homework is hard, but it still takes about 45 minutes to do all the reading and assignments on a good day. He tries to do it right as he gets home, but he gets in about the time his parents do. They talk, ask him how his day was, tell him about what they learned at their class of appointment, and then it’s dinner time. After dinner, around 8pm is his dedicated Spider-Man time. His curfew - because his parents refuse to let him go out vigilante-ing without a curfew, even though he’s told them many times that crime doesn’t stop happening just because Spider-Man has to go to sleep - is 11pm. He begged for hours to have it pushed to midnight, but then his dad threatened to shorten it to 10pm if he didn’t stop whining. By the time he gets home from saving people, showers, and his ready to do his homework, it’s close to midnight. 

In the last month, Peter has averaged 3-4 hours of sleep each night, including the times he wakes up from nightmares, all hopes of falling back asleep lost. The sleep deprivation is taking a toll on him. Ned keeps having to elbow him in the side so that Peter doesn’t fall asleep during class. If his parents have noticed the bags under his eyes, they haven’t said anything - which means they haven’t noticed because his parents would freak out if they knew. 

It’s Thursday night, Peter just landed on the top of an apartment building after stopping a mugger. Last night, he only got an hour of sleep. His stupid English teacher had given them a last minute 2 page essay due that morning. Peter supposes it should have been easy, the topic was ‘write about your favorite thing to do’. Which is easy enough when your favorite thing is reading or building LEGOs, or playing sports. But when your favorite thing is swinging around the city in a spandex suit stopping criminals and sometimes getting stabbed, - not that getting stabbed is something he enjoys - you can’t really put that in a school essay. It was sad how hard it was for him to think of something else he found enjoyable enough to write a 2 page paper on. In his defense, he had just finished the behemoth of a packet of chemistry homework, read 5 chapters of the assigned reading, and finished the robot he and Ned are competing with on Saturday at a competition. 

“Karen what time is it?” Peter asks his A.I - the one Tony made him. 

“It is 10:47pm, Peter. I suggest you head on home now so you don’t miss your curfew.”

Rolling his eyes, Peter stands from his spot. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” He’s still bitter about having a curfew. The knowledge that while he is at home safe in bed, someone else could be bleeding out on the sidewalk after being stabbed in an attack Spider-Man could have stopped, makes him nauseous. Dr. Nemins says he can’t blame himself anytime someone anywhere in the city gets hurt - because his mind likes to play the ‘If I was there…’ game. It’s something they’ve been working on a lot. She says he is unhealthily selfless and that a little bit of selfishness is good for the soul. 

As he’s about to drop off the side of the building when Peter hears the scream. “Karen?” He doesn’t have to ask anymore, she just knows. The map in the corner of his screen highlights the fastest route, leading him in the opposite direction of his home. He jumps off the roof, catching himself with a ‘thwip’ as a web shoots from his web shooters, latching onto a light post. .

“Peter you’re going to be late for curfew.” Karen unnecessarily reminds him. 

“You think I hadn’t figured that out already? What do you want me to do Karen? Leave someone to get mugged? Or worse?” Peter understands that Tony programmed Karen to take care of him making sure he stays safe and follows the rules, so he feels bad when he snaps at her. 

Peter has to stop as he approaches the scene before him. A big burly man is towering over a young mom, her daughter clinging onto the back of her shirt. The girl couldn’t be older than 4. It looks like a mugging gone wrong. A purse is tossed to the side, it’s content spilling out. And there, glinting in the light of a street lamp - a gun. The man is pressing it into the mother’s stomach as he says something to her. 

Hiding in the shadows, Peter creeps his way closer to hear what the man is saying. “Since you had nothing in your purse, you’re gonna take me back to your apartment, show me what you’re really worth.” The tone of his voice, darkness in his eyes, his free hand grabbing the woman’s waist. It all sends Peter into a panicked rage. 

He swings down, knocking into the side of the man. The woman screams again in surprise, one hand reaching back to hold onto her daughter. “Hey hey hey, I’m not gonna hurt you. Are you okay? Are either of you hurt?” He asks. The mother turns to face her daughter, giving her a quick once over. She shakes her head when she decides they’re both uninjured. 

The few seconds he took to check on the mom and daughter, turned out to be a few seconds too long. Peter’s spidey sense tingles painfully before a loud crack echoed through the alley way. It took longer than it should have for Peter to recognize that he was the one who just got shot - the burning in his left side cluing him in. 

Looking down, Peter watched as his suit darkened. It was oddly satisfying how smoothly he was bleeding out - or maybe that’s just his delirious, shocked brain speaking. “Ow.” He looked up at the mugger, who had just raised the gun again. “I think one shot for tonight is enough.” 

Peter acted quickly, ignoring the scream of his side every time he moved. He grabbed the gun with a web, pulling it from the man’s hands and sending it to the opening of the alley. The man continued to fight, despite his weapon being discarded. “Are you new here? That would be my guess. I’ll fill you in on a little secret; I’m a superhero so trying to fight me is just a waste of energy. Both yours and mine.” Peter ducked as the man sent blow after blow at his head. He felt himself moving slower than usual, so when a fist finally made contact with his face, he wasn’t surprised. “Maybe try avoiding the face? I’ve got places to be and people to see tomorrow. I don’t really need people asking about the giant bruise on my face.” 

Half a minute later, Peter decided to stop dodging. He shot a web at the man’s feet, keeping him stuck in place. The mugger’s arms waved around in the air like a windmill as he tried to keep his balance. When he started to fall forward, Peter caught his shoulders - while the mugger is definitely a bad guy, nobody should have to suffer through a broken nose. Peter was pushing the man back, focused on trying to force him to sit. That’s why he didn’t notice the shine of the knife or the tingle of his spidey sense - and not because he is sleep deprived. 

This time it didn’t take Peter a moment to process that he was injured. He felt as the blade sliced through each layer of tissue and muscle. He felt as the knife was twisted sharply to cause more damage. He felt as the man pulled it back out, before plunging it in once more. 

Peter pushed the man away from him, effectively knocking him out as his head hit the ground beneath him. Karen confirmed that he was just knocked out, only sustaining a minor concussion. Peter webbed the mugger to the ground, with just a little bit of overkill. 

After he was sure the man wouldn’t be leaving that spot for a long time, Peter leaned against a wall, trying to stop his head from spinning. “Are you okay?” The young mom and her daughter were still there. Peter lifted his head, his eyes unfocused. Did she say something? 

He mumbled a half coherent “I’m fine.” before climbing the same wall he was leaning on. As he reached the top, Peter slumped to the floor. He looked at his stomach again. “Well this is a minor inconvenience.”

“Peter, according to my protocols I am connecting you to your dad.” Karen warned him. 

“Wait, Karen. Don’t call hi-” 

“Kid, It’s past curfew. Where the hell are you? You better have a damn good reason for not being back.” Tony cut him off. Even though his words said he was angry, his voice was only filled with concern. 

Peter felt delusional at this point. He was tired, dizzy, hungry, and in pain. What was he in pain? He poked his stomach slightly. Oh yes. Hahaha, he is in pain, silly him. He laughed out loud. “Peter? What’s wrong?” Is his dad here? Where is he? Why can’t he see him?

“Dad? I didn’t know you were here. I can’t see you, where are you?” Peter half giggled, half mumbled. 

“Karen, talk to me. What happened?” Tony was feeling a little frantic at the moment. His son sounded drunk. Peter wouldn’t underage drink, would he?

“Peter was shot once and stabbed twice. He’s lost a lot of blood. I believe his altered mental state is partially due to these factors. I’ve already sent you his location.” Karen, for being an A.I, sounded almost motherly; worried, protective, scared. If he had the time to pat himself on the back, Tony would. However, his kid is bleeding out somewhere, so the back pats will have to wait. 

“Hey dad?” Peter whispered - still stifling the involuntary crazed little giggles, knowing he has to be serious for a second. “I’m sorry I kept it a secret from you. I just didn’t want to disappoint you or mom.” 

“What? What are you talking about Pete? Peter?” He repeated when his kid didn’t answer. 

“Hmm?”

“You gotta keep talking to me bud. What did you mean by keeping it a secret? What secret?”

“Oh.” Peter’s eyes slipped closed before shooting wide open, trying to stay awake. He’s missed his dad. This little talk has been nice. He isn’t ready for it to end yet. “The secret about the baby. The one Dr. Memis? Dr. Nemo? Dr. Nim…. Whatever her name is, my therapist. Hmm, I like my therapist. She’s nice. She lets me talk about everything and she never gets mad.” What was he doing again?

“Yeah, she is nice Pete.” That’s right he’s talking to his dad. “Let’s go back to the secret though bud. What secret?” 

Secret? Does he have a secret? Why would he keep a secret from his parents? They’re his family and soon the baby...oh the baby secret. “Oh yeah. I don’t want you to have a baby.” This time, when his eyes slipped shut, Peter couldn’t open them again as unconsciousness finally claimed him.

“What?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you remember how I said I was aiming for 4,000 words per chapter? Yeah, like all things in my life, I have to lower my expectations. Anything more than 2,500 is good in my book. 
> 
> I'm trying to write as much as possible before life gets busy so i don't keep you all waiting for forever, because that's the worst. I will try to post chapter 3 by the end of this week, but not guarantees. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading! 
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos if you are enjoying the story!

He must be hearing things. Surely Tony did not just hear his delirious-from-blood-loss son just say that he wishes he wasn’t having a baby. Right?

That is another conversation to have with his kid after, you know, he stops him from bleeding out. And oh shit, that is a lot of blood. 

The Iron Man suit barely landed on the roof before Tony was stumbling out of it to Peter’s side. “Pete? Kid? Wake up. Come on, open your eyes.” His kid’s face was pale, blank, lifeless. The puddle of blood underneath him still slowly spreading. Tony fumbles to find a pulse, but his hands are shaking too much. “FRIDAY give me a scan.”

“There is a heartbeat, but it is very faint. He has lost almost 3 liters of blood. I recommend immediate medical attention.” 

“Damn it, kid.” Tony steps back to allow his suit to form around him before scooping Peter into his arms, not wasting any time in flying back to the tower. “FRI, alert the medical team of the situation.” 

The pounding in his chest never once dulled. If anything, it quickened as he held Peter’s limp body. “Don’t you dare die on me Peter. You hear me? You can’t leave us. We just found you.” He is not going to lose his son. The universe would have to go through him first. 

As they finally made it to the tower, Tony lowered Peter gently onto the stretcher the medical team had waiting for him. Immediately the nurses and doctors push Tony out of the way, each of them paying attention to a different wound. He stepped back to give them space to work despite every instinct telling him not to leave Peter’s side. 

His suit opened and Tony collapsed onto the closest chair. It took several minutes for him to regain control of his breathing, forcing himself not to have a panic attack at the thought of losing Peter. The kid never should have been out at that time. If he had followed curfew, Peter never would have been hurt. 

No. 

Tony pushes those thoughts out of his mind. None of this is Peter’s fault. He learned a long time ago, from Pepper, that playing the ‘if,then’ blame game does more harm than good. Peter probably saved someone’s life tonight. And while his kid’s lack of self preservation is aggravating, Tony can’t help but feel proud of Peter.

Proud or not though, Peter would not be going back out as Spider-Man until after he’s had at least 3 training sessions. Maybe Tony could convince Natasha to help. She’s taken a liking to the kid. Nat’s even teaching Peter how to speak Russian. They say it’s to “expand his skill set”, but Tony knows it’s so they can have secret conversations without worrying about anyone understanding.

He is not bitter. Back off. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After an hour, one of the nurses came to the waiting area where Tony and Pepper were sitting. She told them that Peter is going to be alright, but it’s going to be a painful recovery process. The bullet had entered Peter’s left side shattering one of his ribs, causing fragments of bone to puncture his stomach. That alone was bad, but then you add on the stab wounds. The knife had done a lot of damage. Not only were the cuts deep and wide, one of the stabs had gone completely through his large intestine. All the injuries mixed with the sleep deprivation slowed Peter’s healing factor. The doctors estimated it would take a week for Peter to be back to normal. Because of the injury to his stomach and large intestine, solid foods were a no go due to the risk that something could get caught in the stitches and get infected. While Peter would be able to drink all the liquids he wanted, he wouldn’t be able to take in the calories necessary to support his metabolism - which would further hinder his healing speed. 

“We need your permission to insert a feeding tube.” The nurse held out a clipboard with the documents and a pen. “He will still be able to drink with it in, but it’s the only way to ensure he is getting enough nutrients.”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other, both knowing the other will do whatever it takes to get Peter better. Pepper took the clipboard from the nurse, skimming over the details before signing. “Do you know how much longer it will be until we can see him?”

“Dr. Cho is in the middle of stitching his large intestine back together. When she is done with that we just have to close then insert the feeding tube. It will probably be another hour or so until we have him in recovery.” 

“Thank you.” Tony raked a hand through his hair. He had long since washed the blood off his hands, but they had yet to stop shaking. There are so many thoughts running through his head. So many questions for Peter. 

“He’s going to be okay, Tony.” Pepper reassured him as soon as the nurse was out of the room.

He knows that. Peter is a strong kid. “Yeah, he is. I’m just worried what his reaction to the feeding tube is going to be. That’s going to keep him in the MedBay while he has it in.” Tony let out a humorless laugh. “And we both know how much he hates to keep still.” 

The couple stayed quiet for a few minutes as the news of Peter’s injuries sunk in. Tony remembered the last thing Peter had said to him. Now that his kid is going to be okay, he can let his mind focus on that. What does it mean he wishes they weren’t having a kid? Peter always looked so happy when they talked about the baby...right? Sure, there were a few times the smiles didn’t reach his eyes and Peter did move to his room sometimes if they started talking about the baby while he was in the room. But Tony thought that was because Peter was working on homework and didn’t want to be distracted. 

Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that whenever the baby was mentioned Peter’s hyper-ness seemed to die down. How did he not realize that before? “Pep, I think we messed up.” At her quirked eyebrow he continued. “Peter told me he wishes we weren’t having a baby. I thought that maybe it was the blood loss speaking, but I keep thinking about it and we’ve definitely missed some signs that something was wrong.” 

“What do you mean, Tony? What signs?” Pepper looked worried again, as if this was the worst news she’d heard that day. She instinctively placed a hand on her stomach.

Instead of answering her directly, Tony looked towards the ceiling. “FRIDAY? Will you pull up all the video footage that shows anytime Peter seemed upset when the baby was mentioned?” It took a few minutes before a hologram projection popped up, playing the first video. 

It was about a week after the wedding, they were all sitting down for dinner. Peter was talking to Tony about an upgrade he wanted to work on for his suit. Pepper interrupted to remind Tony of an appointment she had the next day that she wanted him to accompany her to. The two of them then got lost in conversation about all things baby related. As their discussion deepened, Peter sunk in his seat a little, a clear look of disappointment on his face. He didn’t talk anymore for the rest of dinner. Tony and Pepper had even asked Peter for his opinion on a few things, but the kid just shrugged, never taking his eyes off his plate. Peter left the room as soon as they finished cleaning up, staying in his room for the rest of the night. 

Next FRIDAY showed them a recording of the first time Peter came home from school to an empty apartment because the two of them were at one of their classes. They had forgotten to tell him they wouldn’t be there. Peter had walked in basically skipping calling out to Tony, nonstop talking like he always did. “Dad? I finished all my homework at school so we could spend some extra time in the lab today. The school science fair is coming up and I have a really cool idea, but I want to know what you think. Dad?” After FRIDAY had informed him that his parents wouldn’t be home for another 2 hours, his face immediately fell. They never got around to the science fair project. 

The last video was from this week. Peter didn’t get home from an after school club until 6pm. He looked exhausted, but excited. Tony swears the bags under Peter’s eyes hadn’t been that bad in person. In the video, Peter walked into the kitchen, a huge grin on his face as he held something behind his back. Tony and Pepper were ordering furniture for the baby’s room. As soon as he saw what they were doing, Peter walked to his room without saying hi, throwing the paper he was holding in the trash. They hadn’t even noticed him.

“FRIDAY, what did Peter throw away?” Pepper asked when the recording ended. 

“It was a first place certificate for the science fair.” 

If Tony didn’t feel like a failure of a parent before, he sure did now. Peter hadn’t mentioned the science fair to him. It was no surprise Peter won, but there are still so many questions. What had his kid made? Does he still have it? Will Peter show it to him? 

“Shit, Pep.” Tony sighed, slumping in his chair. They really had messed up. “I didn’t realize. I didn’t even pay enough attention to see how clearly sleep deprived he was. How could I not notice? He’s my kid!” 

“He’s our kid, Tony. This is not all on you. We both messed up.” Pepper said. Her eyes were fierce but watery and her voice quivered a little. “FRIDAY? How much sleep was Peter getting each night?”

“On average, Peter was only sleeping for 3-4 hours. Except last night when he only got an hour of sleep.” 

“Did we really get so caught up in planning for the baby that we forgot about the child we already have?” Tony asked. It was worse than he had thought. They really put Peter on the back burner. No wonder he didn’t want them to be having a baby. Tony would really have to work on spending more time with Peter. It’s been weeks since they had a lab day. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Pain. 

That was the first thing Peter felt when he woke up. Pain in his side, stomach, ribs, throat, mouth, nose. All of it was just a constant throb, one after the other, not caring if they took turns hurting. He couldn’t even scrunch his nose up to signal his discomfort without pain. 

The second thing he noticed was the smell. Clean, sterile, latex. He is in the MedBay. Which makes sense as he remembers just how much he had been bleeding. Had he laughed at the blood? Or was that a crazy dream he had?

He’s pretty sure it was a dream. Peter wouldn’t laugh at being shot and stabbed.

He’s like, 90 percent sure about that. Okay, maybe 80 percent. 75?

Reaching up to itch a spot on his face, Peter touched something that felt like a rubber tube. “Whoa, kid! Don’t pull that.” Peter opened his eyes to see his dad, one hand reached out to grab the one Peter had on the tube. He looked sad. Why does his dad look sad? “You gave us quite a scare there, bud. How are you feeling?”

Peter just stared at his dad trying to remember why his dad would look sad. He felt like something besides the injuries had happened. But what was it? “Why are you sad?” The pain meds they have him on do nothing to stop his already filter-less mouth. 

“I’m not sad.” Tony said incredulously. He even smiled to prove his point before deflecting. “How are you feeling though? Do you need more medicine? Are you in pain?”

Shaking his head in answer, Peter reached towards the tube again. It was annoying, rubbing against his upper lip. “Hey, I said don’t touch that. It’s your feeding tube.” Tony once again pulled Peter’s hand away. 

“Feeding tube?” Peter sat up forcefully, regretting it as the pain in his stomach heightened. Tony pushed him back down against the bed. 

“Careful, Pete.” Tony pushed him back down until his head hit the pillow. “Yes, a feeding tube. Your stomach took the brunt of things. Dr. Cho says you can’t eat solid foods until the stitches are healed. So they had to put in a feeding tube to support your metabolism. Make sure you get the proper calories. She says you’ll probably have it out in a week.” 

A week. That means Peter has to stay in the MedBay for a week? Why don’t they just kill him now? This is going to be brutal. Boring.

It also means he won’t be able to escape if his parents start talking about baby things. And his dad barely leaves his side when he’s in the MedBay, so that means a lot of baby talk. Joyful. 

It’s always about the baby. 

The baby. 

Fuck.

He told his dad that he wishes they weren’t having a baby. Wow, he really screwed that up. Maybe he could play it off? Blame the blood loss, say he wasn’t in the right mindset and was talking crazy talk. Would his parents be disappointed in him? That is Peter’s biggest fear. Disappointing his parents seems so much worse than making them angry. When they’re angry it’s easier to think they don’t care. You are only ever disappointed in someone when you care. 

“Peter?” Tony asked in a voice that told Peter it wasn’t the first time his dad had tried to get his attention. 

“Sorry” Peter pushed down his current thoughts, deciding that he wouldn’t bring it up if his dad didn’t. “What did you ask?”

“Are you in pain?” Tony questioned again. 

Shaking his head Peter tried to reevaluate how he felt. “A little.” He answered truthfully. The pain in his side was really starting to bother him. 

Tony asked FRIDAY to inform Dr. Cho that Peter needs more pain meds. After she confirmed, neither of them said anything. It was a very tense, awkward silence. Both of them were trapped in their own heads, trying to figure out what to say next. 

Thankfully the silence was broken by Dr. Cho when she came in to give Peter his pain meds. She talked him through his injuries, the feeding tube, and the estimated timeline for recovery. By the time she finished, Peter was barely managing to stay conscious. The pain meds really kicked in fast. 

Peter was asleep before Dr. Cho was out of the room. Tony just watch the rise and fall of his son’s chest for a minute before leaning back in his own chair, settling in for the next few hours. There was no way he would be leaving Peter’s side. Nothing could pull him away. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The ringing of his phone is what woke Tony from his much needed sleep. With Peter in the MedBay, he hadn’t slept all night. It was nearing 6:30 when Tony finally fell asleep. He couldn’t have been out for more than an hour before being woken up. Whoever is calling better have one heck of a reason for the early morning disturbance.

When he looked at the caller-ID, all annoyance melted as he read Pepper’s name. She had gone to bed after Tony insisted she needed the rest. If not for herself, for the baby. He answered with a soft. “Good Morning Sunshine.” 

On the other side of the line there was heavy, labored breathing. It instantly made Tony’s stomach drop. Something was wrong. “Pep? Honey, what’s going on?” 

“Tony.” Pepper gasped. He could hear some shuffling before she groaned loudly. “Tony, please.” There was the distinct sound of the phone falling to the floor followed by a pained yell from Pepper. 

“Pep? Pepper?” Tony jumped to his feet running out the door. “FRIDAY? What’s going on?”

“Pepper is in premature labor.” FRIDAY replied. “She is in the kitchen, sir.”

He hopped on the elevator FRIDAY had waiting for him. Luckily, his A.I also knew that he needed to get there fast, because the elevator shot up faster than it has even done before. Tony had to hold onto the railing to avoid falling. Before he knew it, the doors were opening again and he leap out. 

Pepper was where FRIDAY said she was. On the floor of the kitchen, clutching her stomach tightly. There was liquid on the floor, which Tony guessed was from her water breaking. He knelt on the floor beside her, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Pepper?” She didn’t respond. “Pep, can you hear me?” 

She opened her eyes, a terrified look on her face. “Tony, I can feel the baby coming. I can feel the head.” 

You have to give Tony credit for not passing out at that moment. His head suddenly felt ten times heavier, black spots filled his vision, his breathing was shallow. But he did not pass out so that deserves some recognition. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.” No other words could form in his mouth right now. He just kept saying the same two words over and over again. 

Standing from his spot, Tony started gathering supplies; towels, a bowl of water, first aid kit, blankets, and anything else he saw that could possibly be of use. For example, a candle in case Pepper wanted something good smelling to calm her down. That was useful, right?

“Tony.” Pepper snapped at him. “What the hell are you doing?”

Motioning to the growing pile of supplies, Tony answered. “I’m getting things ready. I’ve never delivered a baby, so I don’t know what all we will need. Do you think we’ll need a flashlight? I’m gonna get a flashli- “

“Tony,” Her voice stained, really trying to stay calm despite the pain she is in. “Just take me to the fucking hospital.” 

The hospital? Oh. Yeah that makes more sense. He should take her to the hospital. 

“Mhmm, yep. You’re right. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Tony has a suit wrapping around him within seconds, but the look on Pepper’s face makes him stop. “You meant in a car. Of course. We don’t want the baby slipping out mid flight...” You’d think that a genius like Tony Stark would only say something that stupid as a joke. However, apparently panicking brings out the inner dumb ass in the best of us, because Tony was being completely serious. 

Pepper looked like she had enough. Even in the middle of prematurely giving birth, she gave Tony one of the most unimpressed looks she has ever given him. “Get. The. Car.” 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Morgan H Stark was born March 2nd at 10:36am. 

She weighed 2lbs 4oz.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a Saturday update! 
> 
> I hope you all know that there are so many medical inaccuracies in these first few chapters, so don't hate me. I may be in nursing school, but I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for the support! 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you are enjoying the story!

Preeclampsia.

That’s what the doctors called it. Pepper’s blood pressure had spiked, which forced her body into labor. It’s apparently a rare complication. There’s no rhyme or reason for who it affects, nothing that could have prevented it, it just happens. Had she gotten to the hospital an hour earlier, they might have been able to stop the labor. But by the time Tony had pulled up to the ambulance bay doors, it was too late. 

Pepper had to undergo an emergency C-section, because a natural birth would have taken too long. “Too many unknown risks.” One of the nurses explained after Tony asked why. 

As soon as the baby was out the doctors had to work quickly to stabilize the baby - a girl. She wasn’t breathing. There was a lot of movement; people giving orders, equipment brought into the room, one doctor still working on Pepper. After a few minutes, there was a shrill cry that quieted the room. Tony hadn’t thought hearing his daughter cry for the first time would make him so happy. She’s alive. Before Tony had a chance to see his baby, they rushed her out of the room. 

The doctor that talked to him did nothing to calm his worrying. He told Tony that the baby’s chance of survival is low, but they will do everything in their power to save her. A nurse promised to give them hourly updates. 

Reality of the situation caught up with Tony once all the doctors and nurses had left the room. Pepper was still sleeping from the anesthesia, which left Tony alone with no one to stop him from spiraling. 

What the fuck just happened? 

It was the one thought that broke through everything else. One second he was sitting with Peter in the MedBay, the next he’s in the hospital praying to every entity known to man, alien, and other that his baby doesn’t die. 

His baby could die. The doctors are trying to save his baby. The doctors don’t think his baby will survive. There is not much Tony can do in this situation, but ensuring that his daughter has the best neonatal doctors, surgeons, and nurses is something he can do. 

Pulling out his phone, Tony asks FRIDAY to get him a list of the top world renowned neonatal doctors. He swallows the tightness in his throat and gets to work on researching the people on the list in front of him. 

By the time Pepper woke up, two hours later, Tony had already hired a new medical team, travel arrangements made. The 3 doctors, 2 surgeons, and 5 nurses will all be there by the end of the day. One of the doctors lives in the city and will be at the hospital within the hour - which comforts Tony the most because the first few hours seem like the most critical. 

“Tony?” Pepper looks at Tony with sad, worried, tear filled eyes. “Where is our baby?” There’s a hesitation in her voice, like she’s afraid of the answer.

Seeing his wife looking so scared, Tony hurries to her side. Pepper had been under anesthesia when the doctor explained what was wrong. The look on her face made it clear she thought the baby had died. “The doctors are working to save her. Her lungs were filled with fluids and there was an infection that was affecting her liver. I’ve already gotten a couple updates, the nurse says our baby girl is a fighter. Just like her mother.” 

Tears were flowing down Pepper’s cheeks, a faint smile turn the corners of her lips up. “Our baby’s a girl? We have a daughter?” 

“Yeah, we do. Now we have one of each.” Tony pressed a kiss to her forehead. How did he get so lucky?

“How did Peter take the news?” Pepper asked, guilt seeping into her voice. 

Peter. Tony had forgotten about Peter. “Shit, Pep. I haven’t told him.” He’s gotten so focused on finding the best care team for his daughter, that he forgot his son. His son who has already been feeling pushed aside. His son who is in the MedBay recovering from his own injuries. “I need to call him.” 

“Oh, Tony.” Pepper sighed, a sad look replacing the smile. “He’s going to hate us.” 

“No he won’t. He’ll understand. It will all be okay.” Whether Tony was saying that to reassure Pepper or himself, he isn’t sure. Grabbing his phone, his finger hover over Peter’s name. It takes a few deep breaths, a mental pep talk to hype himself up, and a stern look from Pepper before he presses the button, holding the phone to his ear. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Since the first night Peter met Tony, there has never been a time when his dad hasn’t been hovering over him while he’s in the MedBay. Not that he’s been injured that much. Contrary to what his dad says, having to get stitched once a week or wrap fractured ribs is not that bad. There was a time when Peter was getting injured every night. His healing can handle it though. Tony just worries too much. 

When Peter wakes up to an empty room, he can’t say he is surprised. They’re probably doing something baby related, like a class or appointment. This is not the first time his parents have picked the baby over him. It certainly won’t be the last. 

The tears that soon made an appearance, were not invited by Peter. He blinked rapidly, hoping to stop them before they escaped. It was stupid, he has no reason to be upset. In all reality, he should have seen this coming. The baby is new, whole, perfect. Peter is broken. It’s like a new toy, of course his parents will choose the baby over him. 

Anger replaced the hurt; red, hot, painful. Peter lets out a frustrated scream, throwing his phone across the room, taking pleasure in watching it shatter against the wall. He feels trapped, like the walls are closing in. He needs to move, needs to get out of the MedBay. It takes a little effort, but he swings his feet off the side of the bed so that he’s sitting up. He pulls off the heart monitor wires, rips his IV out, and is about to pull on the tube in his nose when Dr. Cho comes running in. “Peter! Stop.” 

Slowly his anger fades, the logical part of his brain catching up with what he’s done. “Damn it. I’m sorry, Dr. Cho. I’m sorry.” He may be frustrated, but Dr. Cho did nothing wrong. She shouldn’t have to work harder because he couldn’t control his anger.

“Where’s Tony?” Dr. Cho starts collecting the wires Peter took off, stopping the beeping from the IV machine, and making sure the feeding tube wasn’t messed up. “He usually never leaves.” 

“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I woke up.” Peter answered truthfully, trying hard to keep the irritation out of his tone.

Dr. Cho nods her head once, turning on her heel to leave then stopping at the door. “Can I trust you here alone for a few minutes or are you going to try to pull everything out again?” Peter gave her a quick ‘yes’, watching as she walked into the hallway, calling out as she goes, “FYI, pulling the feeding tube out would hurt like a bitch. I don’t recommend it.” 

Peter lays back on his bed, this time allowing the tears to fall. Did he do something wrong to make his parents hate him? Is ignoring him their way of telling him they want him to leave? When the baby comes are they going to decide they don’t want him anymore?

All these thoughts are ones he’s had since the wedding. Dr. Nemins says that the thoughts are wrong. She’s been working with Peter on understanding and accepting that Tony and Pepper aren’t going to send him back. Before he found out about the baby he was doing well. He felt wanted, loved. But then Tony announced that Pepper is pregnant and all the progress he had made was thrown out the window. Back to square one. 

Dr. Nemins also says that Peter is experiencing jealousy. It’s subconscious, so while Peter might not realize that he is jealous, a deeply hidden part of him wishes he was Tony and Peppers biological child. He wishes he got to grow up with them in his life. He wishes the baby would never come. 

He wishes the baby would never come.

That wish has never been thought before. Of course he wishes the baby will come. It will make his parents happy, they deserve to be happy. Sure, they may push him aside, put him on the back burner, choose baby things over him, but Peter would never wish that the baby wouldn't come. 

Except he did. Subconsciously. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to where his thoughts were taking him, but that one came out of nowhere. It came naturally without his reasonable thinking to squish it down. Does that make Peter a bad person? To wish for something so terrible?

His breathing quickened, but there was a heavy weight on his chest. Taking in a breath was getting harder and harder to do. Peter curled in on himself in the bed, clutching the pillow tight to his chest. He tried to calm himself down from his panic attack, but nothing could stop his guilt from the bad thought. He deserves this. The universe is punishing him, choking him for being ungrateful. For all the things his parents have given him, Peter shouldn’t be so selfish. As his vision blurred and his head became heavy, Peter stopped fighting. He let the darkness take him.

The next time Peter woke up, there was an oxygen mask strapped around his nose and mouth. Pulling it off, he looked around the room to see if his dad was back. 

He wasn’t.

There was, however, Natasha sitting on the couch in the room, reading a book. She looked up when Peter cleared his throat. “Добрый день, паук, малыш.” (Good afternoon spider baby) Her signature smirk on her face. “Dr. Cho doesn't trust you to be alone. She said something about you throwing a tantrum?” 

Peter’s pretty sure his face is the color of his suit right now. “I wasn’t throwing a tantrum.” He said indignantly. It wasn’t a tantrum, he was feeling trapped. It was instinct taking over rationality. That’s all. “Do you know where my dad is?” 

Natasha’s composure faltered a little, but she regained control quickly. Tony had called her after Peter’s phone went straight to voicemail. She and Peter have a weird spider bond, so Tony figured she would be the next best thing to him and Pepper. Clearing her throat, trying to keep her voice steady, she answered. “Something happened with the baby and…” 

“Of course.” Peter snapped, cutting her off. He was tired, hurt, frustrated, and pissed off. If he can’t leave, yelling seemed like the next best option. “There is always something to do with the baby. It’s not even born yet! How many fucking things are there to do for an unborn thing?”

Other than Peter’s labored breathing, the room was silent. Natasha was staring at him completely shocked by his outburst. There is not much that can surprise the Black Widow, but hearing the sweet, kind, loving, teenager in front of her freak out like he did, was on the top of her list. She could tell the moment he woke up that something was wrong, but she never would have guessed it was a dislike towards the baby. 

It took a few moments for Natasha to collect her thoughts before she continued. “Peter, the baby was born this morning. Pepper had something called preeclampsia, they had to do an emergency C-section. That’s where your dad is Peter. The baby - your sister - isn’t doing well. Tony’s called in the best doctors from all around the world to help try to save her.” 

And there it is. 

Peter has wished for so many things in life. Most of which were completely ignored by the universe. Especially the big ones, like don’t take aunt May away. With that wish, when May died, it was almost as if the cosmos were laughing right in his face. 

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Peter that the one wish he didn’t mean to make, the wish he took back immediately, the wish that would hurt other people, was the wish the universe decided to grant him. 

It’s Peter’s fault his newborn little sister is probably going to die.

“Peter!” He distantly hears someone call his name. 

That someone starts shaking his shoulders. Are they here to hurt him because of what he did? He wouldn’t hate them if they did. Even though she’s only a few hours old, part of him likes to think he’d hurt anyone who tries to harm his baby sister. “Peter, look at me.”

He forces his eyes to look at the person shaking him. It’s Natasha. She looks worried. Why would Natasha look worried if she’s here to hurt him? It’s not like his dad will be mad after he finds out that the baby being sick is his fault. “Peter. You need to breathe. You’re okay. Take a breath for me.” 

Is he not breathing? That would explain the tightness in his chest. Peter obeys the command, sucking in sharply, filling his lungs with air. 

“Good. Keep breathing. It’s going to be alright.” Natasha reassures. Peter still hasn’t taken his eyes off of her. He was pretty sure she was here to hurt him, so why does she look relieved now that he’s breathing again? 

“Are you going to hurt me?” Peter asks quietly between his panting breaths. 

Natasha looks like someone just stabbed her through the heart. Her face crumples the second his question was asked. If he didn’t know better, Peter would think he saw her eyes moisten a little. Even her voice sounds sad. “I’m not going to hurt you. Why would you think that?” 

Now Peter breaks eye contact. “Because I am the reason the baby is going to die.” His voice is barely above a whisper, but Natasha still hears it. Her body going rigid beside him.

“What do you mean?”

“I-I was angry because m-my dad wasn’t here when I woke up. H-he and my mom were always b-busy with baby stuff so I w-wished that the baby wouldn’t come. A-and now she’s going to die because of me.” The shame of admitting his wish had tears - once again - staining his face as he explained through sobs. 

“Oh, Мой паук малыш.” (my spider baby) Natasha quickly pulled Peter into a hug. So she isn’t mad? “None of this is your fault, Peter. These things happen without any explanation. There was nothing anyone could have done to stop it.” 

“I shouldn’t have wished for it. What kind of brother am I if I wished my little sister didn’t exist?” Peter asked. “What if my parents don’t want me anymore now that they have their own child?” The only other person Peter has admitted these feelings to is Dr. Nemins. It’s embarrassing that a baby is making him feel so insecure and useless. 

Pushing him back, Natasha forces him to look at her. There is more emotion on her face than Peter has ever seen before, but the fierceness in her eyes is what captures his attention. “Peter, you are Tony and Peppers child too. Just as much as this new baby. Don’t give me that look.” She scolds after Peter gave her a skeptical look. “I know it’s hard for you to believe, but Peter, your parents are never going to send you away. You are their first kid. Maybe not biologically, but that doesn’t matter to them. They love you. No matter what.” 

She keeps steady eye contact with Peter, willing the information to stick in his brain. They stay silent for a minute while Peter replays her words in his head, trying to accept them as true. Then Natasha lets go of his chin, smirking as she does. “And - for the record - it’s normal to wish your sibling doesn’t exist. I think I’d be more concerned if you never felt that way.” Peter snorted at the way Natasha shuttered dramatically at the thought. “Trust me, siblings can be the worst sometimes.” 

“I didn’t know you had siblings.” Peter wonders aloud. 

“Oh, I don’t. But Clint does and the horror stories he tells about them make me so grateful I’m an only child. He told me once that his little brother chased him around the house with scissors, trying to stab him, because Clint accidentally used his brother's favorite pencil.” Natasha shrugged. “He still has a scar on the back on his arm from it.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy freak, y'all. 
> 
> I did not think it would be so hard for me to write this chapter. It's not my favorite, but it will have to do. Every time I sat down to write, I would think of all the school work I had to do, and I wouldn't be able to think about the story. It seriously took me 5 days to write three paragraphs. 
> 
> My nursing school is accelerated so it covers all the same material that a normal university does, but in half the time. My course load is super heavy so I apologize if I miss a scheduled post or I post late. 
> 
> Anyway, here is chapter 4 ~ enjoy! 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment!
> 
> **edit: I had to fix one part of this that someone pointed out to me in the comments. It doesn’t change any of the story plot. It just changes something Tony says because the original wording made it seem like he and Pepper didn’t view Peter as their child, which seemed like it was confirming Peter’s fears of not being equal to their biological child. It was a mistake on my part and I hadn’t thought about how it could be interpreted that way, so I made a few adjustments.

Tony is going stir crazy. There’s no way he’s leaving the hospital, but Natasha still hasn’t gotten back with him about how Peter is. He asked her to check up on his kid, explain the situation, tell Peter how sorry he is that he’s not there, and then report back on the kid’s reaction. That was hours ago.

Worry, guilt, and exhaustion are all fighting to be at the top of Tony’s emotional triangle. And right now, his anxiety is winning. The lack of communication from Natasha has opened Pandora's box of worst-case scenarios, each reason for the radio silence getting more... intense than the last. At this point, Tony has convinced himself that Natasha and Peter have been kidnapped by an evil Italian chef who has taken them to his secret lair, forcing them to eat pasta until they eventually explode. 

Sorry, did I say intense? I meant insane. 

The only time he wasn’t thinking of ridiculous situations that would never happen, was when a nurse came in to give them an update. Their baby girl was finally stable. They had to go in surgically to drain the fluids from her lungs. It made Tony grateful he’d hired a highly-skilled medical team because the surgery was very dangerous and could have easily gone wrong. As for the infection, they have her on antibiotics to help fight it. There is nothing else they can do except wait.

Waiting sucks. Tony has never liked playing the waiting game.

An hour later, the nurse came back saying that their baby is settled into her new room in the NICU, and they can now visit her. “Tony?” Pepper asked as they stood outside the unit doors. She was squeezing his hand tightly with one hand, nervously fidgeting with her hospital gown with the other. “We’re going to be good parents, right?”

It wasn’t a question Tony would ever have suspected Pepper to ask. She always seemed so confident throughout her whole pregnancy. Tony was the one who felt like an inadequate parent. Even with Peter, he is always messing up. “We already are and I think we’ve done a pretty good job with our first kid.” He answered honestly. Because even though he has moments of doubt in his parenting capabilities, they’ve already proven that they can do it with Peter. 

She gave a single head nod, before squaring her shoulders as she walked through the NICU doors. It’s the same stance she takes when she’s about to face off with an angry, self-righteous, chauvinistic investor. It’s her battle stance. And Tony didn’t think he could love her more than he already did. He was wrong. 

One of the nurses pointed them towards a small room in the back corner of the unit. There wasn’t much in the room, just a couple armchairs, a changing table, drawers filled with medical supplies, and an incubator, which held their tiny sleeping baby girl, swaddled in a light pink blanket, hooked up to an overwhelming amount of wires and tubes. 

If Tony cried for the first few minutes just watching his baby, nobody mentioned it.

“She’s so small.” Pepper commented, wiping her tears away. “I can’t believe she’s here.”

Tony pulled Pepper closer to his side, letting her head fall against his chest. “We should probably name her.” 

“Morgan,” Pepper said without hesitation like she’d been thinking about it this whole time. “After my- “

“Your crazy uncle Morgan.” Tony chuckled. “I like it. She looks like a Morgan.” They watched Morgan sleeping soundly, both of them getting lost in the peaceful moment. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Contrary to popular belief, sitting around in bed all day doing absolutely nothing is not fun. Not when you don’t have a choice. Not when you’re stuck with a tube down your nose and throat, trying not to think about how much pain you’re in, unable to even go to the fucking bathroom by yourself. 

This isn’t Peter’s first MedBay rodeo. Granted, all his previous visits only kept him there, at most, a day. Besides the length of stay difference, the only other thing that makes this go around unique is that his dad isn’t here.

It didn’t take long for Peter to forgive his parents for abandoning him without explanation after Natasha explained. So it’s not like he can blame his dad for not being with him, but it was easier and less embarrassing when nature calls. There aren’t any nurses around who can help him. Meaning his only source of help is the person staying with him. And Peter is not about to ask the Black Widow to help him go to the bathroom. It’s not that he doesn’t think she can handle it; there are just some things a teenage boy would like to do without a female present. 

Unfortunately, over 10 hours have passed since he’s been to the bathroom and mixed with the fluids from his IV, Peter’s bladder is about to explode. His constant squirming has not gone unnoticed by Natasha, who keeps giving him concerned glances. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” She finally asked. 

“Nope, I’m good. Everything’s good. All good. Yep. Good.” Peter had to stop himself from physically face-palming at his awkwardness. Could he have said the word ‘good’ anymore?

Natasha quirked an eyebrow at him, obviously not convinced by his answer. “You wanna try that again?” 

A blush instantly began to creep it’s way up to his face. There is no getting out of this. “I have to go to the bathroom.” 

She blinked at him for a few seconds before shrugging. “How can I help? Can you get out of bed?” 

Peter lowered his eyes to his lap, shaking his head. “Dr. Cho says I have to stay in bed because of my feeding tube.” He risked a glance at Natasha. She didn’t look bothered by this.

Without saying anything, Natasha walked to one of the cabinets, pulled out a urinal, then handed it to Peter. “I’ll wait outside the door. Just tell FRIDAY when you’re done.” 

She was out the door before he could say anything. Still highly embarrassed by the whole situation, Peter just stared at the closed door for a second before getting to his business. 

A minute later, Peter asked FRIDAY to tell Natasha that she could come back in. He wasn’t eager to pass her the container of his pee, but being able to empty his bladder overrode his embarrassment. He’d just apologize that she has to help him with this. 

When the door opened, Peter looked up, an apology on the tip of his tongue. Except, it isn’t Natasha standing in the doorway. 

It’s his dad. 

Tony doesn’t say anything as he closes the door, takes the filled urinal to empty it, then sits on the chair next to the bed. He also doesn’t make eye contact with Peter. His gaze is fixed heavily on the floor. 

“I was half convinced you weren’t coming back.” Peter finally broke the silence, his voice steady and strong. He wasn’t in the mood to dance around the awkward tension. It’s not like Peter can be mad at his dad for leaving. And he isn’t upset that Tony spent all day at the hospital. What Peter is angry about is that the man - the one who is supposed to be his fucking father - didn’t even try to contact Peter to explain what happened. Not even after everything had calmed down. All Tony did was send Natasha to break the news to him, then leave them both in suspense, waiting for an update that never came. For all he knows, his sister could be dead, and that’s why his dad is here. He doesn’t even know the baby’s name!

Breaking the cold-shoulder act, Peter was certain his dad was giving him, Tony jerked his head up to look at his son with wide eyes. “Did...did Natasha tell you why I wasn’t here?” There was a moment where his heart dropped to his stomach. Tony would have bet his life that Natasha would have explained everything to Peter. Had his son been waiting in the unknown this whole time? 

Scoffing, Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, she told me.” He said, really trying to drop hints as to why he was angry. “And that was hours ago. So how’s the baby? Nobody has kept us updated.” 

“I’m sorry, Pete. I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. A lot was going on, and I was waiting until we knew that Morgan was stable an-”

“Morgan?” Peter questioned, his breath catching in his throat. Something about hearing her name was surreal. All anger was gone, replaced with a deep need to protect his sister; To protect Morgan. 

“Yeah, her name is Morgan. They were able to stabilize her, and she is in the NICU. The doctors estimate she’ll be staying there for at least a month.” A smile grew across Tony’s face as he watched Peter’s eyes fill with a softness he’d never seen before.

“Can I see her?”

Tony paused. Of course Peter can go see Morgan. But it will have to wait until the kid is healed. At the very least the feeding tube has to be taken out. There is no way Cho would let Peter leave the MedBay with it still in. He just doesn’t want to disappoint Peter by telling him this. His kid was already angry with him. 

Maybe pausing wasn’t the greatest idea. “Never mind, forget I asked.” Peter quickly said, picking at the edge of his blanket, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes. He didn’t mean to overstep his boundaries. It seemed like asking to see his baby sister would be an okay thing to do, but his dad seemed hesitant. 

Is this where his dad tells him that the baby is going to replace him? Tony and Pepper are busy people, they don’t need two kids taking up their time. And a baby will take up a lot of their already sparse free time. Some of Peter’s annoyance from before came back to the surface. But not at his dad this time, he could understand why the man would only want one kid. Now he was annoyed by the fact that he can’t get out of bed.

Fuck that. 

He’s Spider-Man. Peter can get out of bed if he wants to. 

Throwing the blankets off his lap, Peter swung his legs over the side of the bed again. Dr. Cho hadn’t reinserted his IV, making it one less thing to detach. As he pulled off the monitor cords again, Tony grabbed his hands to stop him. “Pete, What are you doing?” 

“I need to leave. I need to go.” Peter blinked back the tears that were rapidly forming, yanking his hands out of Tony’s grip. “Let me go. Please.”

“No, Peter. I’m going to let yo-”

“Tony.” Natasha’s firm voice rang through the room cutting both boys off from their struggle. Peter looked at her with wide, pleading eyes while Tony looked scared. “Get out.”

“What?” Tony tried to argue. Peter needs him. Something is wrong, and he needs to help his son.

“Get out.” Natasha repeated. The unspoken ‘or else’ evident in her tone. 

Tony looked at Peter, hoping his son would ask him to stay, but when the kid refused to look at him, Tony got to his feet. He sighed, tempted to reach out to hug his son. Without saying anything else, Tony walked out of the room. He was surprised when Natasha followed him out instead of staying in with Peter. “We need to talk.” 

She led him away from the MedBay, out of earshot of Peter’s enhanced hearing, before rounding on him. “What took you so long to come back?” She snapped, continuing before Tony could reply. “Do you know how many times I had to convince Peter that you weren’t abandoning him? How many times I had to reassure him that you and Pepper still want him even though you now have a biological child? He woke up alone, with no explanation. No one to fill him in on why his dad wasn’t sitting with him while he’s in the MedBay, with one of the worst injuries he’s had.” She took a deep breath, lowering her voice back to a normal speaking level. “That’s not your fault. It’s not anybody’s fault. It was a complication that no one saw coming, but Peter blames himself for the baby being sick.” 

“What? Why would he blame himself?” Tony has never seen Natasha so worked up over anything before. If this situation were about anyone other than Peter, Tony would definitely be questioning her about it. But for now, her worrying was making Tony’s anxiety levels creep higher and higher. 

“Like I said, Peter didn’t know what was happening when he woke up. He only thought you were choosing the baby over him, at one of the baby classes or appointments, and got upset. He wished that the baby didn’t exist, and after I told him about the baby coming early he had a panic attack. I was able to talk him through it, but he’s afraid you and Pepper are going to hate him, and think he’s a bad brother.” Natasha watched quietly as Tony processed her words. 

Of all the things Tony wishes he could have a do-over on, making Peter feel like he is less important than the baby, is at the top of the list. Just the other day, he and Pepper had watched the video footage showing how they had been more focused on preparing for the baby than taking care of the child they already have. And here he goes, screwing it all up again. “I need to talk to Peter.” 

Natasha grabbed Tony’s arm, stopping him when he tried to walk away. “Tony, I think he needs to talk to his therapist first. This is not the first time he tried to leave the MedBay. He’s feeling trapped, both physically and mentally. Since he can’t go anywhere yet, I think having his therapist come talk to him is the best thing you can do for him. There is a lot going on in his head that we don’t understand. Hell, I don’t think he even understands half of it. Let him talk it through with someone who isn’t personally involved first, then you can have your heart to heart - or whatever it is you call it.” 

Nodding his head, Tony pulled out his phone to call Dr. Nemins. As much as he wishes he could go talk to Peter right now, and reassure his son that he loves him and isn’t going anywhere, what Natasha said makes sense. Ignoring the late time, Tony puts the phone up to his ear, waiting for the line to connect. “Dr. Nemins, It’s Tony. Would you be able to make a house call tonight?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I am so tired, so I apologize that this is being posted with thirty minutes to spare. 
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if there are grammar errors. I am having the hardest time keeping my eyes open right now, so I didn't proof read. I may or may not have ranted a smigde at one point, but it was worth it! 
> 
> How many of you have had your school or classes cancelled? My school decided to close for a week, so all my classes have been temporarily moved to online. I don't really mind because it gives me more time to write the story. :) 
> 
> Did anyone do anything fun for Spring Break? (did anyone else have spring break?) I went to the beach with my sisters for two days and it was awesome! We got back today and then I had to switch rooms with my brother which took FOREVER. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are all doing well. Stay safe and healthy! 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you're enjoying this story. I know it sounds cheesy (because everyone says it), but the comments and kudos really do make me so happy!!

Peter didn’t know what to expect when Natasha left the room with his dad. Part of him was tempted to continue trying to leave. He even questioned if the pain from pulling out his feeding tube would be worth it. Wiping furiously at the falling tears, Peter tried not to think about what Natasha was saying to his dad. Surely she was telling Tony about the wish. 

A small part of Peter still felt guilty. Even though Natasha had threatened him in the cruelest of ways (burning all his legos) if she ever heard him say or think (because unsurprisingly she’s skilled enough to know what he’s thinking) that he was to blame for Morgan being in the hospital, Peter couldn’t shake the little voice in his head. 

‘You did this.’

‘You made the wish.’

‘She’d be fine if you weren’t around to make a mess of everything.’

‘You’re a bad brother.’

A bad brother. That’s exactly what Peter is. In spite of Natasha’s insistence that it was not Peter’s fault, the fact of the matter is: 

No good brother would wish that their sister didn’t exist. 

So regardless of whether or not it’s really Peter’s fault - he still has reason to feel guilty. 

And it’s that guilt that is eating away at him. 

It’s that guilt that is the deciding factor in why Peter is, once again, standing up out of his bed. 

That guilt is why Peter is holding onto his feeding tube, preparing himself for the pain he’s about to feel.

But he deserves the pain. That’s what the guilt says. 

In 3...2…

“I fucking swear if you pull out that feeding tube, so help me Thor, I will strangle you with it.” 

Peter snapped his eyes open, turning to face the door where his unexpected visitor was leaning against the frame. Her face emoting a mixture of panic, anger, and exasperation. It was intimidating, but friendly. The only other person Peter knows who can pull off that vibe so gracefully is his mom. “MJ.” 

“Sit.” She demands. 

Only after Peter is back on the bed does MJ move from the door frame to the side of his bed. She quietly looks him up and down with scrutinizing eyes, making Peter very much aware of the fact that he’s only in a hospital gown with not even a blanket to cover his lower half. 

Like, we get it. The current way hospital gowns are made make it efficient for an easy removal or dressing, but could you have made the material any thinner? Being in the hospital is hard enough. Why take away our modesty? Is it so hard to ask that a 15 year old teenage boy be granted a hospital gown that more effectively covers him when his similarly aged crush is standing mere feet from him? 

But you know, life isn’t perfect and all that bullshit.

So sue him if he starts to feel antsy under her gaze. With the way MJ’s looking over him you’d think she has X-ray vision or something. What is she doing there anyway? It’s way past midnight. Actually, it could be so far past midnight that it was morning again. That makes sense. “What time is it?” And if everything else is making sense, you can bet your bottom dollar that the first question Peter asks would not. 

“What time is it?” MJ scoffs, as if it’s the dumbest thing she’s ever heard. “I walk in on you seconds away from yanking out your feeding tube. A feeding tube - that you got because you were stabbed through the stomach. An event I had to hear about on the news after someone reported seeing Spider-Man being lifelessly flown above Queens and Manhattan by Iron Man, with an alarmingly large puddle of blood left behind in an alley. And the first thing you ask me is what time it is.” 

If there was ever a time for Peter to keep his mouth shut, now would be it. However, he isn’t in the mood to be lectured. All Peter wants to do is leave the fucking MedBay and break something - preferably something glass; the sound of it shattering is oddly relaxing to him.

“Yes. I asked you for the time.” He snaps, ignoring the way she took a step away from him when he did. “As you pointed out, I was stabbed. I got a fucking feeding tube. I’ve been trying to recover while dealing with the fact that neither of my parents are here because my mom went into early labor and my baby sister has a higher chance of dying than she does of living. And I can’t even be angry that I’ve been here alone, because like I said, Morgan is probably going to die. Which just makes me a selfish, horrible, heartless person because I am angry. I am angry.” Peter’s voice breaks as his throat tightens and hot tears spill onto his face. “Because I’m hurt too. I almost died too. And yet, I’m here alone. Am I really that less important than their biological child?” 

“No.” MJ answered firmly. There was no room left to argue in her voice. It was a stark (hehe) contrast from the soft, pleading look in her eyes, just hoping for him to believe her. MJ sat on the bed next to Peter, pulling him into a hug, allowing him to tuck his face into the crook of her neck. “No, Peter. You are not less important, not at all. You are not selfish or horrible or heartless for being angry. In fact, you have every right to be angry, but not at your parents.” 

Peter pulled his head back so he could see her face. What does she mean he has ‘every right to be angry, but not at [his] parents’?

Who else is there to blame?

Well...besides himself…

“Be angry, Peter. Be so fucking angry that you rip your feeding tube out without feeling the pain. Be so angry you break everything in sight. Hell, be so angry that you out anger the Hulk.” She smirked for a second at the raised eyebrow she received from Peter, before softening her features again. “But make sure you’re angry at the right thing. Not a person or people. A thing.” 

Once again, the pause in her profound, philosophical, inspiring monologue left Peter with more questions than when she started. Thankfully, dramatic pauses have to come to a close at some point. 

“Preeclampsia. That’s what caused your mom to go into early labor, leading to Morgan being born extremely premature, underdeveloped, and fighting for her life. If there’s anything you should be angry at, it’s the sickness. You can curse it, you can hate it for the rest of your life, you can drag it through hell and back. Be angry at the sickness for taking your parents from you in a time when you need them more than ever. Because anger is the best motivator for getting shit done. So be mad at anything and everything you want, but do something productive with it.”

It actually all came to an understandable conclusion.

Peter wraps himself in her arms again, holding tight, anchoring himself to everything MJ. “Thank you.” He whispers in her ear. “Thank you.” 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

When Natasha suggested Peter talk to Dr. Nemins first, he expected to be able to see his kid right after. Not whatever doctor-patient confidential silent treatment he was being subjected to. Dr. Nemins said, “Peter needs time to collect his thoughts before you two can talk. We had a very productive session, but the only way it will have a lasting impact is if he is given time to himself. I don’t want him to have too long, so I’ve set a time limit. If he doesn’t ask to speak with you within 3 hours, then you can be the one to initiate. Peter knows about the timeline, so if you do have to initiate the conversation it won’t be a surprise to him.”

So now Tony has to wait even longer to apologize to his son, but he will not put his own needs above Peter’s. 

There are so many things Tony needs to apologize for. He’s been a terrible dad. It shouldn’t have taken him so long to come back. He should have been more persistent in calling Peter. FRIDAY could have connected him through the tower. Peter never should have felt like he was less loved than Morgan. 

It’s hard to believe that Peter has only been his kid for a few months. Sometimes it feels as if Tony has known the kid for an eternity. It’s easy to forget the struggles that Peter still has. There have only been a handful of times when Tony or Pepper have had to talk Peter down from a panic attack, or reassure him that they aren’t ever going to give him away. 

However, Tony doesn’t feel bad that he wasn’t there. He had to get Pepper to the hospital. His newborn baby was born with a plethora of complications. 

What he does feel bad about, is the lack of effort he put into explaining to Peter. Tony hates that Peter ever had to doubt his love for him. 

The part Tony hates the most, is that this was the last drop of water that overflowed the bucket. A fucking bucket that never should have been filled in the first place. 

There were so many times before the past 30 plus hours where Tony had failed to make Peter feel wanted. And that just makes it so much worse for Tony. 

“Boss, you have an incoming call from Ms. Potts.” FRIDAY spoke, cutting through Tony’s thoughts. 

“Answer it, Fri.” 

“Tony?” Pepper asked hesitantly. “How’s Peter?”

How exactly is Tony supposed to tell Pepper what Natasha told him? The woman just had a baby. In all the pregnancy books and magazine articles about expecting parents, they all said the mothers are a complete mess of hormones for several weeks following the baby’s birth. Telling her that Peter wished they wouldn’t have this baby because they had unintentionally acted like the baby is more important than him, would break her heart. Just seeing the video footage the other day had his wife in tears. 

But, it’s Pepper. Tony owes it to her to tell the truth. She is Peter’s parent too. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds to gather his thoughts. “Physically, he’s healing. Emotionally, it’s bad. When I walked into his room…” From there he filled Pepper in on the bad and ugly side of things. There was no good in this situation with Peter. “...I really messed this up Pep. I’m like my father. I swore to myself that first day after adopting Peter that I would never be like my dad, but here I am.”

Against all odds and completely unexpected by Tony, Pepper did not cry. “Tony, you know you are nothing like your father. You love your kids, and you show them how much you care about their happiness. Don’t let this one situation throw it all out the window.” 

“Pep, I don’t know what to do.” Tony just sighed, slumping further in the chair he’d been occupying for the last hour. “I wish you were here.” 

Tony felt torn. He knows he needs to be with Peter, and wants to spend this time with him. But he wishes they could all be together at this moment. Pepper would know exactly what to say to Peter to make him better. She always does. And she would know the right things to do to help Tony relax. It’s not just Pepper though. He also wants to be with his daughter. He wants to be able to see Morgan sleeping whenever he wants. If it were possible, Tony would never let Morgan or Peter out of his sight ever again. 

The thing is, with Pepper and Morgan in the hospital, and Peter in the MedBay, there was no way for them all to be together. Not unless they could somehow get Peter to the hospital. 

Wait, no. 

Shit. Yes! Yes, that’s it. 

Fuck, okay. This is perfect. Why didn’t he think of it before? Damn, he could be so stupid sometimes. It makes sense. 

“What if we hire a full medical staff in the MedBay? That way you and Morgan could stay here, and we can all be together.” Tony asked excitedly, already making a list of everything they would need. This could possibly be the absolute most brilliant idea he has ever had. Well, besides marrying Pepper and adopting Peter. 

“Tony, I don’t-” Pepper started. 

Tony doesn’t blame her for being hesitant about the idea, but it’s not about to stop him from doing everything in his power to make it happen. “Just think about it honey.” Tony interrupted. All of the ‘How to Present a Compelling Argument’ lessons he’s received over the years - most of which were taught by Pepper - were finally coming to good use. “It’s really the only logical thing to do. There’s better security, better staff, better food, and you get to be here with me and Peter. And, we’re already paying for all of Morgan’s medical staff, so it’s not like we have to hire new people for her.” 

Not even proposing to Pepper was this nerve wracking. If Pepper said no, he didn’t know what he’d do. It would be devastating. 

“Okay.” 

“What?” Tony double checked. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t hearing things. 

“Okay. Let’s do it.” 

Tony really wishes he could kiss his beautiful, amazing, perfect, God sent wife. How did he get so lucky to have her in his life?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Two hours had passed since Dr. Nemins left Peter’s room. Their session had helped Peter to see things in a new perspective. 

Tony and Pepper had chosen him. There was nothing forcing them to keep Peter around. Nothing forced Tony to adopt him. No one had tricked his dad into it or blackmailed the man. 

It was all one hundred percent their choice.

For so long Peter had focused on all the cruel things Skip had told him, and all the times Skip made him feel worthless. No matter how hard Peter would try to tell himself that those things aren’t true, his mind wouldn’t listen. Apparently, after going through a traumatic event, the things people say during that time stick with you more than any other time. 

As Dr. Nemins described it, when facing a life or death situation, your body is in fight or flight mode. During this time your brain is trying to absorb every bit of information. So when someone talks to you, your brain files it under ‘important’ and ‘life saving’. Since we are always subconsciously in survival mode, the information stored in the ‘important’ or ‘life saving’ files is closer to the front of your mind. 

So when his mom and dad tell him that they love him, or that he is important to them, his mind doesn’t accept it. Luckily, it’s all a matter of hacking into our minds, and rewriting the code of information. And Peter likes to hack into things. 

Peter was given a maximum of three hours to work on his insecurities. He was given three tasks by Dr. Nemins. 

The first is to meditate. FRIDAY was asked to turn on relaxing music, while Peter cleared his mind of all negative thoughts. Anything that was even remotely negative was to be thrown out. 

Second, Peter has to write a list of all the positive things he was thinking. The list was meant to contain every happy thought he had in a ten minute window. With all the free room in his thoughts after throwing out the negative, Peter was not at a loss for happy thoughts. 

Third, and most important, Peter was asked to make a second list of all the things his parents have ever told him. He then has to separate them into different categories depending on the answer to these three questions. Who said it? How does it make you feel? Is it positive or negative? 

The last part was harder than one would think, but had just finished his lists when FRIDAY spoke. “Peter, your isolation time is over. I’ve reminded Boss that he can come speak with you now. He says he will be down in a few minutes.” 

Crap. He’d forgotten about that part.

Except, it doesn’t seem as scary as it did a few hours ago. Which is progress. He has already mentally prepared himself for the upcoming conversation. He can do this. “Thanks, FRIDAY.” Peter replied. 

Waiting on his bed, Peter strained his ears for any sign that his dad was walking down the hall. When he finally heard the soft, but confident, footsteps that are oh so familiar to him. Shaking off his nerves one more time, Peter braced himself as the door carefully opened, Tony’s head poking into the room. 

“Hey, Pete.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For realsies though, I hate virtual learning. Raise your hand if you're with me on this. 
> 
> Also, being at home all the time makes me so lazy. Yesterday I planned on spending all day doing school work and studying for the A&P test I have next week. I opened my computer, and the next thing I know, I've wasted six hours playing video games. 
> 
> I only stopped because my nephew came over for our weekly movie night. Did I mention that he and I are watching all the Marvel movies in order? It's literally my most favorite thing to do. He's seven so it's his first time watching them, and I love being able to explain little details to him or point out the correlations from all the previous movies. We watched Avengers: Age of Ultron last night, so next week in Ant-Man. 
> 
> Anyway, that's enough random info about me. Onto the important stuff...
> 
> Chapter 6! :)))
> 
> I just want to say Thank You to everyone who has left a comment or kudos. My motivation in writing definitely comes from all of your support!
> 
> Anyway, Enjoy! 
> 
> Also, Please leave a comment or kudos if you are liking the story! I always appreciate hearing what you have to say!

By the time FRIDAY alerted Tony that the three hour isolation period was over, he had already worked out all the details for moving Pepper and Morgan into the tower’s MedBay. 

Transferring Morgan is going to be tricky because there are dozens of machines keeping her alive. It’s easy for a wire to become loose or a wrong button to be pressed. There will have to be a combined effort between the hospital staff, the transport service, and the medical team Tony has hired, to keep Morgan steady. 

The hospital also has a legal policy stating that the movement of a NICU baby to any other facility can only happen after the baby is 72 hours old. Which means they have to wait another day before they can move Morgan. It sucks that they have to wait, but it also gives Tony more time to prepare. 

In the meantime, Tony has to fix the damage done with Peter. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, but he was desperate to be with Peter again. With that in mind, Tony made his way down to the MedBay. He didn’t bother to knock when he reached the door. Opening it slowly, he saw Peter sitting up in his bed expectantly. “Hey, Pete.”

Peter gave a tight-lipped smile. “Hi.” 

“Can I come in?” Tony asked. He knew Dr. Nemins said that Tony should be persistent in talking with Peter after the isolation period, but if Peter doesn’t want him there, Tony isn’t going to force it. His kid still deserves the chance to say no. 

But Peter didn’t say no, he may have hesitated for a moment, but he still gave a small nod. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked as he sat in the chair next to the bed.

“The pain isn’t too bad. Dr. Cho gave me some good pain medicine that doesn’t make me sleepy, so that’s good.” Peter answered with a shrug. While pleasantries can be nice sometimes, he’s really not in the mood for them. The sooner they can get this talk over, the better. “How’s Mom and Morgan?” 

Tony can’t help the smile that came with the mention of his wife and daughter. 

Geez, he really has gone mushy. 

“Pepper is healing from the C-section, and Morgan is stable. Actually, they are going to be moving to the MedBay tomorrow. Pep and I both thought that all of us being closer as a family would be better. Also, as much as I trust the hospital staff, the lack of decent security gives me too much anxiety.” Tony really hopes Peter is excited about Pepper and Morgan moving closer. His plan was to fix the problems with the kid before telling him about the move, but it just kind of slipped out. He blames it on his lack of sleep. 

Thankfully Peter didn’t seem upset by the news. The kid’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in surprise. “Really? Mom’s going to be here?” He asked, practically vibrating. 

“Yep! She and Morgan will be here sometime in the afternoon. I can put their rooms close to yours if you’d like.” Tony replied. 

“Yes! Absolutely! Wait, no. Could they just move in here? That’d be so much fun, and then we would all be in the same room and no one would have any reason to leave, and we…”

“Peter!” Tony laughed, cutting off his son’s rambling. “I don’t think you’d want to have them in here. You’d have no privacy, and Morgan will have nurses and doctors checking on her at all hours of the nights, which would make it hard to sleep.” 

When Peter visibly deflated, Tony felt guilty that he couldn’t say yes to his kid. “I’m sorry, bud.” 

Shaking his head, Peter rolled his eyes at himself. It was silly to think that his dad would actually let him near Morgan. He really should have thought before he spoke, but his excitement took over his verbal control mechanism. 

Even as he was mentally kicking himself, he could hear Dr. Nemins in the back of his mind, reminding him of their session. He had to close his eyes to concentrate on remembering the list of positive things his parents have ever said to him. Dr. Nemins said to think about it whenever he was starting to doubt his parent’s love for him. .He repeated his top three favorite memories while he gathered his thoughts.. 

1) “You are our kid. Nothing will ever change that.” -Tony

2) “Adopting you is the best choice either of us has ever made.” -Pepper

3) “We love you.” -Tony and Pepper. (This one is especially comforting, because it’s the one thing he’s most afraid isn’t true.)

Lather, rinse, repeat. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Peter eventually muttered. It really shouldn’t bother him so much. The reasons his dad gave him made sense, so he shouldn’t be feeling so hurt. But the tears threatening to fall made it hard to think about anything but the obvious rejection. “You gotta do what is best for Morgan. I get that. It’s n-no problem.” 

“Peter, I’m trying to do what’s best for you too. Do you know that?” Tony asked, trying to get his son to look at him. With all his experience in helping Peter, he knows that the first step towards progress is getting the kid to make eye contact. 

However, Peter is actively avoiding eye contact. He’s not ready to see the disappointment in Tony’s eyes. It seems like that would be worse than his dad not wanting him anymore. There’s more room to feel guilty with disappointment. 

Peter also has no clue how to answer Tony’s question. Lately it hasn’t seemed like his dad was trying to do things to help him. It’s all been about the baby. 

He was truly convinced that his parents wouldn’t care if something happened to him. And if he’s being honest with himself, Peter was the slightest bit happy when he got hurt, because he hoped that meant his dad would actually spend time with him. 

Should he tell his dad the truth, and risk upsetting him? Would it better though if he lied and just told Tony what he wanted to hear? 

You know the whole internal debate people have in movies where they have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? Yeah, that’s Peter right now. And just like in the movies when the angel eventually wins over, his choice is made. 

Telling the truth is always better.

“I don’t know.” That’s all the truth he knows. It’s vague, and doesn’t really answer the question, but it’s all he has. Because Peter really does not know if his dad cares about his happiness anymore. 

Sighing heavily, Tony runs a hand through his hair. “Well it’s true, Pete. You’re my son. I always try to do what’s best for you.” 

“So leaving me without any explanation after I almost died is doing what’s best for me?” Peter snapped. So much for staying calm. But he couldn’t help it, okay? How could the man who's supposed to be his dad, just leave him when he needed him the most? How was that doing the best for him? 

Tony expected Peter to get angry at some point, he just wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. Or over something that was supposed to be good. “Peter..” 

“No!” Peter interrupted. He took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions under control. In as calm a voice as he could muster, he continued. “No, you don’t get to ‘Peter’ me. I get that you had to leave to get Pepper to the hospital. I get that you were worried about Morgan, and needed to make sure she was okay. What I don’t get is how you can say that you were doing what’s best for me. You didn’t have a choice in leaving. You had to take care of your wife and baby. I don’t blame you for that anymore. But please don’t say that anything you did was what was best for me. Because it wasn’t. And maybe that makes me selfish, but Dr. Nemins said it’s okay to be honest about your selfish feelings. So while I wish you hadn’t left, I understand why you had to.” 

What do you say to something like that? He can’t tell Peter that his feelings are invalid, because they’re not. Peter didn’t even say something that he can fix. It was a mature, honest, well thought out expression of how he is feeling. Tony is at a loss. He really wishes Pepper was here. She always knows the right thing to say in these situations.

“I am so sorry, Peter.” Tony pleaded with his eyes, hoping his son could see his sincerity. If he could take away the pain his son is feeling, Tony would in a heartbeat. 

“I know you are.” Peter said, his head nodding thoughtfully. “It was an impossible situation, and I know that if given the chance to redo it, you’d do the exact same thing. I just needed you to know how I was feeling. And I wish I could say that I’m over it, but I’m not.” 

“I don’t expect you to be.” Tony answered honestly. As much as he wishes everything could be fixed in one conversation, he isn’t naive. It’s going to take time to work through all the new doubts Peter has. “You take as long as you need. Just know that Pepper and I love you no matter what. We’ll stand by your side every step of the way.” 

Peter’s eyes filled with tears. He looked up at Tony, reminding the man of just how young his son is. “You still love me?” Peter asked, a mixture of doubt and a little bit of relief. 

It took everything Tony has in him not to throw his chair across the room in anger. Not at Peter. Of course not. But at himself. They had worked so hard to get Peter to the point where he actually accepted that they loved him. And he royally screwed that up. The most frustrating part is that it was over a situation he couldn’t control. 

While trying to keep his frustrations under lock and key - because the last thing he needs is Peter to think he’s mad at him - Tony couldn’t stop his own tears from forming. He was angry, yes. But he was also absolutely devastated. Hearing his son question his love for him reminded Tony of all the times he questioned whether or not his dad loved him. He had sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to keep Peter from feeling that way. 

“Of course I still love you.” Tony swallowed the lump in his throat to keep his voice from breaking. “Peter, I will always love you. There is nothing you can do that will ever make me feel differently. I am so sorry that I made you doubt that.” 

Did Natasha not tell his dad what Peter had wished about Morgan? “But, I did something terrible.”

Ah, now to the conversation Tony had prepared for. “Natasha told me, but I’m not angry about that.” 

Peter jerked his head up to look at Tony. He’s not angry that Peter wished the man’s daughter didn’t exist? “H-how? I mean, it was so bad. How could you not be mad?” 

“Because it wasn’t an undeserved thought.” Tony answered honestly with a shrug. “Pepper and I got so caught up in preparing for Morgan that we pushed you aside. It wasn’t fair to you. You were understandably angry. So no, I don’t blame you for having that thought. And no, neither me nor Pepper are mad. All I can hope is that we never make you feel so forgotten.” 

“But…” 

“No. There is no ‘but’ to it.” Tony cut him off. He needs Peter to understand that he did nothing wrong. “Pete, none of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong. Please, stop blaming yourself.” 

Without warning, Peter launched himself (maybe launched isn’t the right word...more like, carefully, but quickly moved himself) into Tony, wrapping his arms around the man. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Peter sobbed. 

Embracing his son, Tony had one hand rubbing soothing circles on Peter’s back, while the other carded through the boy’s messy curls. “No, Peter. I’m sorry. I am so incredibly sorry that I made you feel like the baby is more important than you. You are both my kids and I love you both the same.” 

Peter pulled back slightly to look at his dad. “She’s your biological daughter. Shouldn’t that make her more important?” 

“You’re right.” Tony said, watching as Peter tried (and failed) to keep his face from showing his disappointment. “She is my biological kid, and you are my adopted kid. Take out the middle words and it still ends in ‘my kid’. It doesn’t matter how you are my kid. You both are at the top of my list of people I love and care about, along with Pepper. All tied for first place. In my mind there is no first, second, or third. You all are equally important.” 

For a second it looked like Peter was going to argue, but he eventually relaxed again into Tony’s side. They sat silently, Tony still holding Peter tight, until the teen’s breathing evened out as he fell asleep. 

It is something Tony never wants to stop happening. Having Peter fall asleep on him, because the kid trusts him to keep him safe, reminds Tony that even when he fucks everything up, he is still doing something right. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Peter woke up next, it was to the soft whispering of voices. His dad and Dr. Cho. Knowing that his dad was still there made him smile a little. Part of him was worried that the man would have left again. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The two adults were standing by the door. Dr. Cho was holding a file between them, pointing out something on the page. 

He watched them talk, still a little too sleepy to put in the effort of understanding what they are saying. 

Tony noticed him first, smirking as he walked closer to the bed. “Hey there, Buddy. Did you sleep well?”

Rubbing his eyes, Peter yawned. “Mhmm. How long was I asleep?” 

“FRIDAY?” Tony asked. 

“Peter slept for 13 hours and 27 minutes.” The A.I answered. 

What the fuck! 

He hadn’t felt tired enough when he fell asleep to be out for 13 hours. “Why didn’t you wake me?” Peter asked, completely shocked by this revelation. 

“Because you needed sleep.” Tony shrugged. It didn’t seem like it was that big of a deal. Besides, he was able to get things set up in the MedBay room next to Peter’s for Pepper and Morgan’s arrival in a few hours.

“Is mom here yet? Did I sleep through that?” Peter asked nervously. He really wanted to be there when they arrived. 

Chuckling at his kid’s worrying, Tony shook his head. “No, we still have a few more hours until they can leave the hospital. I won’t let you miss it.” 

“Oh.” Peter breathed a sigh of relief, before letting out another yawn. Man, the energy required for worrying takes more out a person than you would think. He already feels like he could sleep for several more hours. “That’s good, that’s good.” 

“I have more good news, if you’re up for it.” Dr. Cho stepped closer to Peter, a warm smile on her face. After Peter nodded, she flipped the file so Peter could see it. “We did an X-ray while you were asleep, your stomach has already completely healed. It was much faster than we expected, but I think that’s because you were actually getting the proper nutrients your enhanced metabolism requires. Anyway, we can take the feeding tube out.” 

Let’s just say that Peter is really grateful he didn’t try to take the feeding tube out on his own. He had really thought that it would be a quick little tug on the tube, and viola! It would be out. He was sadly mistaken. 

Because, unbeknownst to him, (until 5 minutes ago) feeding tubes are really long. And the process of pulling it out is really gross. There’s a lot of snot, saliva, and other bodily gunk that comes out with it. Also, his gag reflex had basically debilitated him. It took all of his concentration to not be sick. 

So yeah, he’s grateful he waited. 

“I still want to keep you in the MedBay for another day, but by this time tomorrow you should be free to go.” Dr. Cho told him as she filled out some information on his chart. 

“Sweet!” Peter answered. It felt weird to be able to swallow without feeling the tube against his throat. Weird, but good. “Will I be able to go to the other room when my mom and Morgan get here?” 

Dr. Cho thought for a few seconds before conceding. “Yes. But!” She added after Peter’s excited ‘Yes!’. “But, you have to be in a wheelchair. No, don’t look at me like that. Just because the feeding tube is out, doesn’t mean you aren’t still healing. So you go in a wheelchair or you don’t go at all.” 

The doctor rounded on Tony who was silently laughing at the adorable puppy dog glare his son was giving. “If I find out that he didn’t go in a wheelchair, and stay in the wheelchair the whole time, I am coming for you.” She threatened. 

Three. There are now three women Tony is terrified to upset. Pepper, Michelle Jones, and now Dr. Cho.

“Don’t let him out of the wheelchair, got it.” Tony confirmed, ignoring the affronted scoff from his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos! ^.^


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's everyone holding up? 
> 
> I know literally everyone asks that question, but I'm asking anyway. 
> 
> Let me just say, I'm pretty sure quarantine brain is a real thing. I feel like I'm going crazy. It doesn't help that I spent 95% of my time studying, that alone fries your brain, but add the lack of social interaction, and BAM! crazy. 
> 
> So if that doesn't explain the chapter your about to read, i don't know what does. I mean, I think it's a good chapter, but I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to write 2763 words for a scene that lasts less than an hour in the story timeline. 
> 
> Anyway, if you hate this chapter, i apologize, and i completely blame the mandatory 'shelter in place' order that has been placed in my county. I legally can not leave my house unless it's an emergency. 
> 
> So that's how I'm doing. How are the rest of you? 
> 
> What about those people with kids? Are you surviving? Have you found ways to keep your kids busy without driving yourself mad?
> 
> Are any of you learning a new skill? or trying to perfect a skill you already have? Anyone trying to break a world record?
> 
> Sorry, that's a lot of questions, but I'm curious. I need more activities that don't involve homework or electronics. I've started practicing my jump roping skills, but I can only do that for so long because it's so hot outside. 
> 
> Okay, okay. I'll stop talking and let you read. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has left a kudos or comment! I really really appreciate them! (especially the comments) 
> 
> Stay safe, and I will see you all next week!

Prepping for Pepper and Morgan’s arrival took more out of Peter than he wanted to admit. It’s not like he had actually done anything worthwhile either. Literally all he did was take a shower, sitting on a chair. He really should not feel so exhausted. 

Sitting in front of a mirror, Peter was attempting to tame his hair. The key word being ‘attempting’. Because it was not going well, and he had already put a shit ton of gel in his hair. 

All he wanted was to look decent for the first time meeting his baby sister. Is that too much to ask? 

Apparently, yes. 

He groaned in frustration, throwing the comb he’d been using across the room. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.” 

Peter tilted his head to the side to give Natasha his best ‘I’m not in the mood’ look. 

The assassin smirked, holding her hands in surrender. “Need help?”

“Yes!” Peter pleaded. He was just so tired. Maybe Natasha could get his hair under control. “I’m two seconds away from shaving my head. Please fix this.” 

“You realize I’m a spy highly trained in combat, stealth, weaponry, and tactical skills?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Sighing, Peter turned to face the mirror again. He looked at his hair in the mirror for a few seconds before facing her again. “So you can’t help me?”

“Well, I did have to go undercover once as a hairdresser in order to catch a dangerous drug lord working in the building right next to the salon.” Natasha answered with a shrug as she made her way to pick up the comb Peter had thrown. She sighed dramatically, “I guess I could try to remember some of the skills I learned for that mission.” 

Rolling his eyes, Peter once again faced the mirror. “I hate you.” 

“If that’s the case maybe I should go back to being useless.” Natasha threatened. 

“No!” Peter all but shouted at her. “Please, I’m sorry. You are one of the best people I know, and I could never actually hate you, and I will do anything you ask of me just please help me with my hair.” 

Is it a little silly that Peter is getting so upset over his hair? Maybe. But He’s tired and has had an emotional couple of days. Something was bound to cause his mental breakdown. He just didn’t think his hair being uncooperative would ever be a reason as to why he’s on the verge of tears. 

Thankfully Natasha seemed to pick up on the kid’s distress. “Паук малыш”(Spider Baby) She comforted, starting to run the comb through his hair without saying anything else. What kind of aunt would she be if she didn’t help her nephew in such a simple way? Not that Peter has ever referred to her as an aunt, but it sounded nice.

Peter immediately felt relaxed as Natasha did his hair. He just wants everything to be perfect. He’s missed his mom, and wants to spend as much time with her as possible. 

Also, meeting his baby sister is exciting. Along with feeling exciting, there is also a little fear that he will screw it all up. He has so many questions about how to be a big brother. What are you even supposed to do with a baby? Do you talk to them? Or do you just stare at them? 

As his doubts started to creep their way to the front of his mind, Peter could feel as his heart rate increased with anxiety. Before his spiral could get too far though, Natasha finished with his hair. It really looked better than he ever would have gotten it. 

“So about that favor…” Natasha started with a hint of mischief in her tone. 

Thinking back to his half meltdown a minute ago, maybe offering to do anything was not a bright idea. Peter’s hair looks good now, so maybe he overreacted a bit. He probably could have done it himself. Maybe?

Whatever Natasha was going to say next was cut off by Tony rushing into the room, looking like a crazy stray cat. The man’s hair was sticking out all over the place, his shirt had a grease stain on the front, he was wearing two different colored shoes. Sure the colors looked similar, but to Peter’s enhanced eyesight, it was very obvious. Other than the shoes, the rest of his outfit was a typical lab day outfit. What really gave Tony the ‘crazed’ look, were his eyes.

Both eyes are bloodshot and wide, with the left eye twitching every few seconds. Like when someone is incredibly sleep deprived and is trying to keep from falling asleep. There’s a mixture of excited and panicked energy radiating off of the man. 

All Peter could think was that this is what Dr. Frankenstein probably looked like when his monster actually came alive. 

Tony had to take a few deep breaths before he could talk. He had just run from the penthouse to the MedBay. Well, he actually just ran from the elevator to the MedBay which isn’t that far - but technicalities are stupid. He is not getting old. 

Fortunately for Tony, that denial filled internal debate would have to wait for another day. Right now he has more important things to worry about. “Pepper just called! They are on their way!” 

Any other time Peter would have found the fact that his father is literally bouncing on his toes, funny. It just so happens though, that it’s now Peter’s turn to have - another - mental crisis. 

So you know how people say that feeling nervous and feeling excited are the same sensation? Yeah, Peter can’t tell which emotion he’s actually feeling about his mom and sister coming. Which is honestly causing so much more stress on his part. 

Like what if he isn’t excited about the whole thing? He knows he should be excited, but if he isn’t then he feels guilty. And he really doesn’t want to feel guilty at this moment, but his brain likes to do things without his permission sometimes. 

On the other hand, if he is excited about this, then he has to worry about making sure everything is set up and ready for their arrival. Peter knows his dad has already set things up, but he feels like there is still pressure (from his misbehaving brain) to do something productive. Taking a shower and spending an embarrassing amount of time trying to do his hair, isn’t enough. 

So yeah. He’s now worried about how he’s feeling, rather than the actual event itself, and if that doesn’t tell you how Peter’s doing...I don’t know what to tell you. 

“Peter?” The distracted teen looked up to see his dad and Natasha giving him concerned looks. He must have been more zoned out than he thought. “You okay, bud?” 

Forcing a smile Peter nodded his head. “Yep. Good. Great. Perfect. Noooooooo Problem.” 

Peter knows he’s an idiot. He knows it with every fiber of his being, and now his dad and pseudo aunt know it too. 

Tony really did try to keep a straight face. But seeing his son pathetically attempt to lie? His kid just looked so done with himself, it was hilarious. He snorted as he doubled over, clutching his stomach as his full belly laughs sounded uncontrollably. 

Much to Peter’s dismay, Natasha just smirked at him, eyebrows raised in amusement. For whatever reason, her reaction bruised his ego so much more than his father outright laughing at him.

It took several minutes for Tony to finally calm down enough to be able to even just look at his kid without laughing. “Phew, kid.” He said as he tried to catch his breath, before looking at Peter with an expectant look. “So, you want to try answering my question again?” 

Peter focused his gaze on his thumbs. He still isn’t very comfortable telling Tony everything that he’s thinking. Especially not the bad things that could make his dad upset. Their talk from the day before helped to settle a lot of Peter’s doubts, but it isn’t a one-talk-fix-all problem. 

But Peter also knows the first step towards any sort of ‘better’ is by communicating. “I’m just a little worried.” He admitted. 

While his focus is still glued to his twirling thumbs, he didn’t miss the glaces exchanged between Natasha and his dad, before the woman quietly left the room.

Tony knelt on the ground next to Peter, fighting a groan as his knees protested. Covering Peter’s hands with one of his own, Tony used his free hand to tilt Peter’s head up, forcing eye contact. “What’s bothering you, bud?” Peter tried to look away, but his dad wouldn’t allow it. “Pete, buddy. You can talk to me. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.” 

Sighing in defeat, Peter chewed his bottom lip as he thought of the right way to phrase his worries. All he knows is that he plans on leaving out his worries about whether or not he’s worried out of the conversation, because it was a legitimately crazy thing to stress over. “I just don’t want to mess it up.” 

“Mess up?” Tony asked. What could the kid possibly “mess up” while confined to the tower?

“Seeing mom and meeting Morgan.” Peter whispered. If Tony hadn’t been expecting the quiet answer - because Peter always whispers little confessions like this - he probably wouldn’t have even noticed the kid had answered. 

Nodding in understanding, Tony smiled softly at his kid. Don’t get him wrong, Tony does want to have these deeply emotional conversations, but with the transport ambulances arriving in the next ten minutes, he’d have to rely on his default instinct. Answering with humor. “I can understand that. I mean, I was a complete wreck when Pepper told me her water broke. There’s not much I remember between the time she told me, to just after the doctors took Morgan out of the room. But I do know that I was panicking so much that I forgot taking her to the hospital was the first step. I just gathered all the supplies and prepared to deliver a baby.” Tony shook his head in disbelief at his past self. 

It really was a stupid lapse in judgement. Like, he grabbed a flashlight. What the fuck was he going to do with a fucking flashlight while delivering a baby? It’s not like it was dark. 

“Anyway, I’m telling you this because it’s going to be pretty hard to surpass my level of screw up. It’s all going to work out. You’re going to be a great big brother. Got it?”

“Mhmm.” Peter answered. He could tell the man was trying to lighten the mood, but his dad’s story didn’t really make him feel any better. “Is mom mad at me?” 

Tony scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. Peter’s question was unexpected. He’s pretty sure he explained to Peter that neither of them are angry. Did he forget to mention Pepper in that part of their talk? “No, not at all. I’m actually pretty sure she’s more excited to see you than she is to see me.”

“Dad, I’m serious.” 

“So am I.” Tony defends

“Daaad.” Peter whines. 

Conceding, Tony looks Peter straight in the eyes. He’s not risking any chance of miscommunication. “Mom is not mad at you, Peter. She’s been worried about you, and feeling guilty about not being able to be with you. Pepper and I love you, kid. Nothing will ever change that.” Peter visibly relaxed, and with the serious conversation over, Tony quirks the side of his mouth up. “And if you don’t believe that, then you will be in for a big surprise when she doesn’t let you out of her sight for the next few weeks. I know Dr. Cho cleared you to be released from the MedBay today, but I hope you weren't attached to that idea. Pepper is absolutely going to make us all sleep in the same room.” 

Feeling a little better, Peter rolled his eyes at his dad’s tactics. He was still worried, but so long as both his parents are with him, he should be fine. “I really hope she lets me out of her sight when she goes to the bathroom. That’d be weird.”

“You’re a little shit, you know that?” Tony laughed as he ruffled Peter's hair. 

“No!” Peter screamed as he ducked his head away from his dad’s hand. He was too late. The damage was done. Now his dad needs to pay. Is it a rational thought? No. But is having a meltdown over uncooperative hair rational? No. So the irrationality outweighs the rational, therefore making it rational (maybe that thought isn’t rational either but Peter can do as he pleases. He’s had a tough couple of days). Knowing he will never look threatening enough, does the next best thing - “I’m telling Nat.” 

As Peter started to leave, rolling effortlessly in his wheelchair, Tony jumped to his feet and stepped in front of his kid. “Woah, woah. Hold up. There’s no need to jump to such harsh conclusions. We can fix it. Natasha never needs to know.” 

Is it a little weird that Tony, a grown adult, is so afraid of one person? Maybe. But he’s not just afraid of anyone. He’s afraid of the Black Widow. A deadly, overly skilled assassin. She could make Tony disappear with no trace, and somehow get everyone to believe that he never existed in the first place. She is just all around scary. A great friend. But scary.

He also knows that she probably won’t kill him over something so menial, but all the little things can add up pretty quickly. 

Tony shuddered at the thoughts of the damage Natasha could do. He opened his mouth to keep trying to persuade Peter, when a voice cut him off. “Why do I feel like whatever secret you’re keeping is your fault, Tony?” 

Pepper. 

Both boys whipped their heads to the side to see Pepper in the door frame, sitting in her own wheelchair, a group of people standing in the hallway behind her. 

“Pep.” Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He crossed the room in a few long strides, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “FRIDAY didn’t tell us you arrived.”

“I asked her not to. I wanted to catch you off guard, and based on what I overheard, I think it was the right call. This way I am prepared to do damage control.” Pepper smirked. She looked away from Tony to Peter, smiling brightly. 

A cough from behind Pepper brought the attention to the medical staff standing expectantly in the hallway. “Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we need to know where to set up. We only have ten more minutes of power before the machines die.” A short, red headed woman said. She looked friendly, but stressed. Which, being in charge of saving the life of the child of one of the most powerful families in the United States, would be stressful. 

Tony snapped his fingers as he set into motion. “Right. Yes. This room right over here. I’ve set up all the equipment I was told to get. I had a doctor friend look over everything to make sure it was set up correctly. Over here we’ve got…” Tony had already led the group into the next room, his words being cut off as the door shut. 

Pepper stayed where she was. There is no way she’s going to leave Peter right now. It’s not like she can do anything to help with Morgan right now. 

“Hey Peter.” Pepper said, tears shining in her eyes.

Peter, eyes glistening like his mom’s, rolled his way across the room. He was a little upset that he can’t actually hug his mom, because how the hell are two people in a wheelchair supposed to hug? Pepper reached across to hold his hand, so Peter accepted that as the closest they’d get to a hug right now. “Hi mom.” 

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.” Pepper squeezed his hand. 

“I know. I’m sorry too.” Peter answered. “I’m glad you’re finally here. I’ve really missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too. I’m so happy to be out of that hospital. I thought I was going to go crazy. I mean I still might, but at least I get to go crazy in my own home with my favorite spider kid.” Pepper said. It really was a relief to finally be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! 
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos if you've enjoyed my story!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readers, 
> 
> Good news! I'm posting *slightly* early!
> 
> Bad news: 
> 
> I'm sorry. 
> 
> This is the last chapter...Surprise?
> 
> Now before you get mad, just know that I do plan on making a third part to this series.
> 
> I didn't realize until I was writing this chapter that in order for me to have a strong start into the next part of the story, I needed to end it where I did. 
> 
> Please don't hate me. 
> 
> Also, I don't know when I'm gonna start posting part 3. I have finals that start next week and I need to make sure I can give that all of my attention before I focus on writing. Lucky for me, I have a week break between terms, so I'll probably do a lot of writing during that time. 
> 
> Thank you everyone who has read this! I have loved hearing your thoughts and comments regarding what I've written. You all are amazing and the support you give is absolutely amazing. When I first started writing fanfics, I never planned on posting any. Then I posted my first piece and the positive responses made me feel more confident in myself and my writing. So thank you! 
> 
> Now for the story :) Enjoy!
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos!

When Tony came back from showing the medical team the room for Morgan, he found Peter in the process of trying to convince Pepper that birds are really government issued drones.

“Think about it.” Peter argued. “President Kennedy refused to kill and replace billions of birds with drones. So what did the CIA do? They had Kennedy assassinated. With him out of the way, Operation Turkey X500 was put into action. The whole country was mourning his death so it was the perfect time to replace the birds without people noticing.” 

Pepper was nodding her head, looking like she was actually considering what the kid was saying. “I can see how you might think there are coincidences, but…”

“No. No ‘but’.” Peter interrupted indignantly. 

“Mhmm.” Pepper hummed noncommittally. She thought for a moment before slowly trying to reason with Peter again. “So hear me out..”

Groaning dramatically, Peter flopped his head back, covering his eyes with his arm.

As much fun as watching this conversation is, Tony decided to ask some questions. “Pete, do you seriously believe the government replaced birds with drones?”

He is pretty sure the kid isn’t serious, but you can never be too safe. As a parent, it’s your job to check that your child isn’t believing in strange things...like bird drones.

Peter glared at Tony for a few seconds before shrugging and rolling his eyes. “No. But it’s a conspiracy theory. It’s not supposed to be a legit thing. It’s just fun trying to convince people that ridiculous theories are true.” 

Okay, that’s like only 80 percent true. Peter knows birds aren’t really drones, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think it would be cool. Because it totally would be. Minus the part where the government would know that Peter is Spider-Man. I mean, the number of birds who have spotted him changing into, or out of, his suit is almost comical.

“There’s no need to be so serious all the time.” Pepper smirked.

Tony gasped, pointing a finger at his wife. “That was one time.”

“Yes, and know you’ll be paying for that comment for the rest of your life.” Pepper winked at Tony. 

It was all Peter could do to not fall out of his wheelchair laughing. Within seconds he had tears rolling down his cheeks from laughing so hard. Every time he tried to control his laughter, his mind played all the different ways the original conversation between his parents could have gone. “I thought you were supposed to be a genius.” Peter wheezed. 

“Woah, there’s no need for harsh words.” Tony replied dramatically. “You really shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.” 

Pepper reached out to smack Tony’s arm. “If you stop feeding him then I’ll stop “fondue-ing” with you.” She threatened, using air quotes around the code word. 

Slapping his hands over his ears, Peter let out an involuntary squeak. “Ew! Gross! I didn’t need to hear that!”

Tony rolled his eyes, chuckling at the horrified look on Peter’s face. “You do realize that without Pepper and I doing the horizontal tango, you wouldn’t have a little sister?”

Once again Peter let out a squawk as he forced his hands harder against his head. 

Any other time, Pepper probably would have scolded Tony for that comment, but she started to think about her little girl in the next room. She didn’t want to intrude if the medical team was still busy settling Morgan into the room. The whole reason Tony set up the arrangement for Morgan to be at the tower was so they could spend time as a family. And Peter hasn’t even met Morgan yet, which is even more of a reason as to why they should check on the progress being made.

“Did they tell you how long it would take?” Pepper asked Tony. 

Tony took a moment to watch Peter out of the corner of his eye. He had been wanting to bring up the topic of going to see Morgan, but he didn’t want Peter to feel like they were more focused on her again. 

It seemed a little silly for Tony to be worrying so much. Going to see Morgan is the next logical step. And it’s not like he and Pepper were going to go without Peter. They’re just still trying to get back into their normal swing of things. The last few days have been emotionally challenging, and it’s easy for things to get messed up again if they aren’t careful. 

When Tony finally decided Peter didn’t look like he was disappointed, Tony answered Pepper, glancing at his watch as he did. “They said it would take about 10 minutes until we could go see her. Which was 15 minutes ago, so I guess we don’t have to wait anymore.” Tony then turned to Peter. “If that’s okay with you? Are you feeling up to meeting Morgan?” 

All of Tony’s apprehension dissolved as he watched the smile form on Peter’s face.

“Yes!” Peter shouted, excitement bubbling throughout his entire body. He had been curious about when he could see his new sister. “Are we going now? Does my hair look okay?” The teen excitedly asked his dad, before turning to his mom. “Mom, does my hair look okay? Dad messed it up earlier and then you walked in before he could fix it and I just want to make sure I look my best. Should I change my clothes? Is this too casual? Oh, what about…”

“Peter!” Pepper laughed, cutting off his rambling. “You look fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Morgan can’t even open her eyes at this moment. She’s not going to know what you look like.” 

Unfortunately for Pepper, her reassurances were not well received. “So what you’re telling me, is that I now owe Natasha a favor over something I didn’t even have to do?” Peter ended with an exasperated groan. 

He also wouldn’t have nearly had a mental breakdown. What if he had shaved his head like he threatened to do? 

Wow. He really needs to watch his impulsive tendencies when having a dramatic moment. That could have turned out really bad. 

After watching Peter have a silent conversation with himself, - the various facial expressions Peter was making were hilarious - Tony brought the attention back to the starting point. “So now that we know Peter doesn’t have to worry about his hair,” That comment earned him an eye roll from Pepper and Peter. “Can we go introduce him to Morgan?”

The trio didn’t need anymore prompting as they went into the hallway, only pausing for a moment before Tony pushed the door open. 

The room was silent except for the sound of machines whirring and beeping. Only one nurse from the medical team was still in the room, watching Morgan’s vitals, and charting the medications that were being administered. She looked up when Tony cleared his throat, a kind smile on her face. “I was wondering when you all would be in.” 

“We wanted to introduce her to Peter.” Tony said nodding his head in Peter’s direction. “Is this a good time?”

There was a moment when the nurse looked at Morgan hesitantly, almost as if she was going to turn them down. But the smile returned quickly as she nodded her head in confirmation. “She’s asleep right now, so just don’t wake her.” She shot Peter a wink before turning back to her charting. 

Well, Peter has an answer to his previous question. He was definitely feeling excited earlier, because right now, the way he’s feeling, these are 100 percent brought on by nerves. It’s like someone poured cement down his throat. No matter how many times he tries to swallow, the lump won’t go away. His hands are shaking despite having them held tightly in his lap. 

Peter’s just grateful that he’s sitting down. Because if he had walked in, he would be on the floor right now. 

All Peter can think about are the doubts he has concerning him being a brother. What if he’s not good enough? What if he is a bad brother? What if he can’t keep her safe?

And the one thought that scares him the most: 

What if she dies?

What if something happens and the doctors can’t save her?

That though makes Peter’s stomach twist. He has to push back the wave of nausea that washed over him, closing his eyes tight in concentration. 

“Pete?” He hears Tony ask. “What’s wrong?” 

Shaking his head, eyes still closed, Peter starts to wheel backward toward the door. He can’t do it. He just can’t. 

Tony stops him from moving further, placing his hands on either side of Peter’s face. “Buddy, come on. Look at me.” 

Peter keeps his eye shut. If he sees Morgan, then it will all be real. Then she’s really there and there’s really a possibility that she could die. And Peter cannot lose another family member. 

“No, no, no. Please. I can’t. I-I just c-can’t.” Peter sobs, still trying to leave. “Please. I can’t lose her.” 

As Peter’s sobs, Tony can feel his own tears rolling down his face. His kid looks more scared than Tony has ever seen. He looks at Pepper, hoping she will know what to do, but she looks as broken as Tony feels. “What do you mean, Peter? Lose who? Morgan?”

Peter nods his head. 

“She’s fine, Peter. Morgan is okay. She’s going to be okay. We are not losing her.” Tony tries to reason. Whether to convince Peter or himself, it doesn’t matter. Morgan is going to be fine. He’s Iron Man. He can save her.

When Peter doesn’t seem to calm down, Tony just wraps his arms around his kid, allowing Peter to rest his forehead on his shoulder as he holds him. 

Tony feels Pepper move to their side, placing one hand on his back, the other running through Peter’s hair. 

All he can do as he holds onto his son is whisper quiet reassurances. 

It takes several minutes for Peter’s sobs to turn to quiet sniffles. Tony only lets go when Peter pulls back. “Sorry.” The kid whispers as he keeps his eyes focused on his lap. 

Placing a hand under Peter’s chin, Tony lifts the kids head until their eyes meet. “Talk to me, kid. Tell me what’s going on.” Tony says softly. 

For a moment Tony thinks Peter’s going to refuse again, but the kid takes several deep breaths before quietly answering. “I can’t lose anyone else.”

“You won’t buddy.” Tony immediately responds. “None of us are leaving any time soon.” 

Shaking his head, Peter pushes further back from Tony. “You can’t promise that. You can’t.” Peter argues. “A-aunt May p-promised that after Ben died. She promised she wouldn’t leave me and t-then…”

Tony felt his heart breaking all over again, but he also felt a sense of determination. “You’re right.” Peter looked up at Tony as if he had been hoping the man would tell him he was wrong. “I can’t promise that none of us will leave, but I can promise that I will do everything in my power to keep us all safe. I promise that no matter what happens, we will always be a family. I promise that Morgan is going to love you. I promise that Pepper and I will always love you.”

Peter relaxed into the hand Tony had placed on his cheek, allowing his eyes to close for a few seconds. “You promise?” He asks. 

“Will all my heart.” 

“Mom? Do you promise?”

Pepper smiled softly, giving Peter’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Of course, baby. I can’t think of anything better to promise.”

Once again, the trio sat in silence for a minute, all trying to get over the emotional moment they just had. Peter was the first to break the silence. “While we’re on the topic of promising, I think we should talk about getting a dog.” 

Tony rolled his eyes as Pepper raised an eyebrow. “No.” Tony answered. 

Peter looked at his parents with round eyes, trying to look innocent. “Oh, come on, dad! Please! I think a dog could really help me with my emotional instability.” Pepper gave Peter a gentle slap on the arm, trying to keep a smile off her face. 

“Extortion. That’s what that is.” Tony scoffed before a smirk formed. “Besides, with the face you’re making, I think you could fill in as the family dog.” 

Peter’s pleading look slipped to a frown as he glared at his dad. Thankfully, Pepper was always at the ready. “While Peter may have the puppy dog eyes perfected, he’s not the one at risk of having to sleep on the couch tonight.” 

While Pepper’s attention was focused on a flabbergasted Tony, Peter took that time to stick his tongue out at his dad. 

It was at that moment, all the attention was redirected as the sound of Morgan crying cut through the air. 

The nurse, who Peter forgot was still in the room, reacted first. She walked over to Morgan, checked her vitals, and readjusted her oxygen mask. 

“Is she alright?” Peter was the first to ask. He was surprised by how protective he was feeling towards his sister. He hasn’t even properly met her. How can he already be planning on wrapping her in bubble wrap to keep her protected from the dangers of the world. 

Smiling reassuringly, the nurse motioned for Peter to come closer. “She is okay. Just hungry.” 

“Oh.” That was all Peter could say as he pushed his anxieties down, moving closer to the incubator. 

Morgan was smaller than Peter expected. It makes sense, she wasn’t fully developed. But he didn’t think she would be this small. She could fit in the palm of his hand. It didn’t help that she was connected to so many different tubes and wires. It all just made her seem so fragile. 

In that moment, Peter felt like everything was falling into place. He has his dad, mom, and baby sister. Nobody can take this away from him. Not his family. Not the feeling of belonging. Not the warmth of love that fills his chest.

He let out a shaky breath. “You good, bud?” Tony asked as he stepped next to Peter. 

“Yeah.” Peter sighed. “I think I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> oooooh, did yall notice what I did with the summary? :)
> 
> and let me know how you all felt about the paragraph spacing...last series it was wider, but I wanted to try this out. If you prefer it the other way, I'll fix it.


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